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ALEXANDER  B.  ANDREWS 

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PEOPLE'S  PARTY 


HAND-BOOK 


OF 


FACTS. 


CAMPAIGN  OF  1898, 


ISSUED  BY  THE 

STATE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE  OFTHEIPEOPLE'S  PARTY 
OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


•     •     •     m 


RALEIGH: 

Capital  Printing  Company,  Printers  and  Binders. 

1898. 


FACTS. 


of 


The  People's  Party  State's  Central  Committee  recently  issued  a  little  pamphlet 
headed  by  the  question,  "Is  the  Democratic  Party  Honest?"  The  contents  of 
that  pamphlet  have  convinced  those  who  have  read  it  that  the  Democratic  machine 
is  thoroughly  dishonest  in  its  professions,  and  this  pamphlet  will  establish  the  fact 
that  the  same  party  machine  is  unqualifiedly  dishonest  :n  its  practice.  It  will 
show  that  the  accession  to  power  of  the  Democratic  party,  as  at  present  organized, 
managed  and  controlled,  is  fraught  with  danger,  dishonor  and  degradation  to  the 
people  of  the  State,  and  will  convince  every  honest  citizen  who  reviews  the  state- 
ments herein  made,  that  it  is  his  duty  to  bend  his  efforts  and  energies  in  every 
honorable  and  legitimate  way  to  save  the  State  from  such  disastrous  conditions. 

This  assertion  may  appear  to  be  violent,  and  it  may  appear  to  show  evidence  of 
a  spiteful,  partisan  spirit,  but  all  such  appearances  will  be  removed  by  a  review  of 
the  statements  set  forth. 

It  is  but  fair  and  just  to  say  in  the  outset,  th.at  the  masses  of  voters  who  have 
been  affiliating  with  the  Democratic  party  have  always  been  deceived  by  their  party 
machine  in  t-wo  ways,  viz. :  The  failure  of  the  Democratic  press  to  tell  the  truth,  and 
its  persistency  in  inventing  and  circulating  the  most  outrageous  and  villainous  lies 
that  the  genius  of  an  organized  liar  can  invent.  There  has  never  been  any  adequate 
means  in  North  Carolina  tor  exposing  its  general,  fraudulent,  lying  character,  but" 
the  truth  has  been  gradually  forcing  its  way  to  the  front  for  nearly  six  years,  arid 
as  fast  as(it  has  dawned  on  the  honest  voters,  they  have  denounced  and  deserted' 
the  Democratic  party  until  there  is  nothing  left  of  it  but  its  plundering  machine 
and  those  who  have,  not  yet  seen  the  light.  The  people  are  to  be  congratulated 
that  the  number  ihat  has  "not  yet  seen  the  light"  is  growing  beautifully  less  every 
day.  For  this  number  there  is  hope  and  sympathy,  and  at  no  time  are  these  to  be 
regarded  as  subjects  of  the  criticism  which  will  appear  in  this  pamphlet  against 
the  Democratic  machine.  The  fraud,  dishonesty  and  low  scoundrelism  of  this 
machine  are  what  deserve  denunciation.  Nothing  can  justly  be  said  against  the 
voter  who  has  been  deceived  and  blinded  up  to  this  time,  even  though  it  may' 
appear  that  he  is  to  blame  for  bemg  so  stupid  as  to  permit  himself  to  be  deceived 
and  blinded  for  so  long.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  when  the  trickery  and  knavery 
of  the  machine  shall  appear  to  him,  he  will  quickly  follow  those  who  have  spurned 
it  and  left  it. 

THE  "ISSUE"  RAISED  BY  THE  DEMOCRATIC  MACHINE. 

An  elaborate  and  detailed  review  of  the  action  and  procedure  of  the  Democratic 
party  would  be  more  voluminous  than  it  is  proposed  to  make  this  little  document. 
It  can  be  asserted,  however,  that  for  the  present  campaign,  the  Democratic  manipu- 
lators, who  have,  through  their  National  and  State  Conventions,  made  vociferous 
declarations  and  professions  in  favor  of  various  reforms,  have,  as  the  initial  move- 
ment of  their  campaign  for  1S9S,  completely  and  entirely  ignored  every  profession 
heretofore  made,  have  abandoned  all  discussion  of  every  principle  heretofore 
declared  for,  and  have  taken  as  a  basis  for  their  every  action  the  old  cry  of  "nigger." 

00 
vj 

00 

~4L 


This  party  has  lost  all  hope  of  ever  being  able  to  convince  the  intelligent  citizen 
and  virtuous  voter  that  there  is  any  truthfulness  or  honesty  in  it,  and  as  a  last, 
desperate  resort  and  despairing  effort,  has  undertaken  to  arouse  the  wildest  preju- 
dice and  fiercest  passions  of  men  and  citizens  toward  one  another,  with  the  hope 
that  they  may  gain  by  lving,  lawlessness  and  riot,  what  they  can  never  attain  by 
argument,  reason,  record  and  truth. 

In  a  State  populated  by  two  races,  there  is  a  possibility  of  some  succ  ess  in  an 
effort  to  incite  lawlessness  and  riot,  not -so  much  by  making  appeals  for  it  as  by  a 
cowardly,  sneaky,  secret  procedure  of  hiring  individuals  or  sets  of  individuals  to 
begin  such  riots.  In  the  Staie  of  North  Carolina  the  relations  between  the  races  pop- 
ulating it  are  always  rational  and  amicable  unless  inflamed  by  just  such  a  vicious 
and  infamous  course  as  is  now  being  pursued  by  the  Democratic  press  and  the  man- 
agers of  the  Democratic  party.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  there  has  never  been  in  the 
State  of  North  Carolina  an  instance  of  racial  antagonism,  unless  it  was  inspired  by 
these  last  named  agencies,  and  it  may  be  asserted  with  all  safety,  that  in  nearly  all 
cases  in  which  a  negro  has  made  assumptions,  either  politically  or  socially,  in  such 
way  as  to  be  repulsive  to  the  Caucasian  race,  it  has  been  at  the  instigatian  of  some 
low,  venal,  white  wretch,  acting  as  the  tool  of  Democratic  party  wire-pullers. 

Does  this  appear  to  be  a  violent  or  exaggerated  statement  ?  Well,  do  not  take 
anything  for  granted.  Has  there 'been  an  unduly  offensive  case  of  this  kind  in  your 
vicinity  ?  If  there  has,  first  take  down  the  name  of  the  offender.  Then  find  out 
who  is  talking  to  him  and  who  he  is  talking  to.  Then  find  out  what  business  they 
have  to  talk  about,  and  you  will  then  be  right  where  you  can  tree  the  scoundrels 
and  smoke  them  out.  Rumors  and  reports  of  just  such  rascality  as  this  are  too 
common  to  permit  the  supposition  that  there  is  nothing  to  base  them  upon.  Smoke 
the  rascals  out ! 

It  is  a  fact  so  well  known  as  to  make  it  superfluous  to  repeat  it,  that  wherever  the 
Caucasian  race  dwells  it  rules.  It  is  a  work  of  supererogation  to  declare  that  it 
will  alwavs  rule  ih  this  State.  The  cry  of  "  negro  supremacy  "  and  "  negro  domi- 
nation "  is  as  absurd  as  a  discussion  of  racial  amalgamation.  Neither  is  possible. 
No  person  or  organization  can  more  fully  appreciate  and  understand  this  statement 
than  the  editors  of  Democratic  papers  and  the  Democratic  party  itself.  At  no  time 
of  its  history  has  the  Democratic  party  feared  or  apprehended  what  they  are  now 
pretending  to  crv  against.  During  a  period  of  twenty  years  in  which  that  party 
swayed  overwhelming  power  in  North  Carolina,  it  never  passed  a  law  nor  made  an 
effort  to  disfranchise  or  take  from  the  negro  the  power  of  the  ballot  which  they 
now  declare  they  so  mortally  dread.  On  the  other  hand,  if  there  has  been  any 
positive  course  of  procedure  with  reference  to  the  matter  at  all  on  the  part  of  the 
Democratic  party,  such  procedure  has  been  a  covert,  sneaking  retention  of  the 
power  of  the  ballot  to  the  negro,  in  order  that  that  party  might  fatten  on  the  preju- 
dice it  could  raise  against  the  very  power  it  established. 

In  nearly  every  Southern  State  except  North  Carolina,  the  negro  is  disfranchised, 
with  the  result  that  racial  antagonism  cannot  be  aroused,  because  of  the  absence  of 
a  basis  on  which  to  proceed.  The  same  power  that  disfranchised  the  negro  in  these 
Southern  States  has  been  wielded  by  the  Democratic  party  in  North  Carolina  for 
twenty  years,  and  yet  no  advantage  whatever  has  ever  been  taken  of  that  power. 
This  can  be  nothing  less  than  conclusive  evidence  that  the  Democratic  party  expe- 
rienced no  terror,  and  did  not  even  feel  any  very  serious  concern  over  the  bugaboo 
of  "negro  domination."  The  truth  is,  the  only  thing  that  has  preserved  to  the 
Democratic  party  in  this  State  any  life  at  all,  is  what  is  left  of  the  prejudice  that 


has  heretofore  been  aroused  over  trie  "  race  question."  On  any  issue  of  economics, 
or  any  question  of  political  principle,  that  party  has  always  been  wanting  in 
competency  and  honesty.  Its  fraudulent  and  hypocritical  character  was  fully 
exposed  in  the  campaigns  of  1894  and  1896,  when  such  matters  were  discussed, 
and  the  people  promptly  and  vigorously  repudiated  it.  And  now,  in  the  campaign 
of  1898,  this  Democratic  party  no  longer  attempts  a  discussion  of  issues  of  political 
and  economic  significance,  but  flies  back  to  its  old  cry  of  "nigger"  on  which  it 
managed  to  exist  so  long,  with  the  insane  and  drivelling  hope  that  such  a  cry  will 
resuscitate  it,  and  give  it  a  few  more  jears  of  license  to  plunder  the  State  in  such  a 
manner  as  the  figures  presented  in  this,  pamphlet  show  they  have  heretofore  plun- 
dered and  robbed  and  looted  it. 

The  living  fact  is,  that  the  Democratic  party  and  its  managers  have  preferred 
that  the  negro  should  be  a  voter  ;  but  when  the  Democratic  party  was  in  power 
that  vote  was  either  purchased,  coerced,  manipulated  or  stolen  in  such  manner  as 
to  always  inure  to  the  advantage  of  that  party.  Numerous  rich  instances  of  this 
fact  might  be  cited. 

For  example,  take  the  county  of  Halifax,  which  is  known  to  be  a  county  in 
which  the  negro  voters  outnumber  the  white  voters  very  largely.  Under  a  Demo- 
cratic regime  and  manipulation  that  county  was  made  to  show,  in  1892,  a  Demo- 
cratic plurality  of  about  2,000.  Under  an  anti-Democratic  regime,  with  an  honest 
election  law  and  a  count  of  votes  as  cast,  this  same  county  shows  an  anti-Democratic 
plurality  of  about  2,000. 

When  the  Democratic  party  controlled  the  election  machinery,  the  county  of 
Edgecombe  was  made  to  show  a  Democratic  plurality  of  about  700.  Under  an  honest 
count  in  1896,  the  anti-Democratic  plurality  was  about  1,000. 

Democratic  regime  made  Anson  county  give  a  Democratic  majority  of  about  1 ,000 
Under  an  honest  election  law  the  same  county  goes  anti-Democratic  by  about  100. 

Democratic  regime  made  New  Hanover  county  give  a  Democratic  plurality  of  over 
1,000.  Under  an  honest  election  law,  the  same  county  gave  an  anti-Democratic 
plurality  of  about  1,000. 

Democratic  regime  made  Northampton  county  give  a  Democratic  plurality  of  about 
1 ,400,  Under  an  honest  election  law  and  a  count  of  the  ballot  as  cast,  this  county 
gives  an  anti-Democratic  plurality  of  more  than  700. 

Democratic  regime  made  Richmond  county  give  a  Democratic  plurality  of  about 
1  700.  Under  an  honest  election  law  and  a  count  of  the  ballot  as  cast,  this  county 
gives  an  anti-Democratic  plurality  of  more  than  600. 

Numerous  other  instances  of  the  same  kind  might  be  cited,  but  those  here  pre- 
sented are  sufficient  for  the  illustration  desired.  Anyone  desiring  further  informa- 
tion may  send  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for  a  copy  of  the  comparative  vote  of  1892 
and  1896,  from  which  the  above  figures  are  taken,  a  study  of  w^hich  will  bring  some 
astonishing  revelations. 

These  illustrations  show  the  sneaking  character  of  Democrats,  who,  being  too 
weak  or  too  cowardly  to  stand  up  as  men  and  enact  lawTs  disfranchising  the  negro 
vote,  which  laws  wTould  have  been  constitutional,  and  which  would  have  removed 
forever  such  a  thing  as  a  basis  of  discussion  as  to  "  negro  domination,"  which  they 
noiv  profess  to  fear,  pursued  the  course  of  pretending  to  give  the  negro  popu- 
lation the  right  to  vote,  and  then  counted  that  vote  as  they  chose,  without  regard 
to  how  it  was  cast.  In  this  way  only  has  the  Democratic  machine  been  able  at  any 
time  to  preserve  life  in  what  it  calls  the  Democratic  party. 

Under  the  Democratic   regime  it  was   common   for   that   machine  to  appoint 


numerous  negroes  as  poll-holders  at  election  times,  and  to  appoint  the  most  ignorant 
and  most  easily  purchasable  negroes  that  could  be  found,  despite  the  protest  of 
people  who  demanded  intelligent  election  officers.  This  was  called  giving  repre- 
sentation to  a  certain  party,  but  it  amounted  to  nothing  less  than  a  plan  to  return 
the  vote  cast  at  the  polls  where  these  poll-holders  were  appointed,  just  as  the  Demo- 
cratic machine,  or  parts  of  it,  decided  that  it  should  be  returned. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  Democratic  machine  confined  its  election  machi- 
nations to  such  counties  as  it  thought  it  could  manipulate,  and  did  manipulate,  on 
account  of  the  presence  of  the  negro  vote.  Bncouraged  and  emboldened  by  its 
success  in  such  counties,  it  enlarged  its  field  of  operations,  and  along  in  1888,  1890 
and  1892  it  embraced  in  its  plan  of  campaign  a  considerable  number  of  Western 
counties,  in  which  there  is  a  large  number  of  white  voters  who  have  never  had  the 
best  educational  advantages.  These  the  Democratic  machine  classified  as  The 
ILLITERATE  White  Vote,  and  according  to  the  idea  of  the  machine  these  white 
voters  were  there  for  the  SAME  PURPOSE  that  the  negro  vote  existed  in  some  of 
the  Eastern  counties,  viz. :  to  be  manipulated  in  the  interest  of  what  was  called  the 
Democratic  party.  A  few  illustrations  will  show  that  the  ballots  of  the  white 
voters  of  these  Western  counties  were  as  successfully  handled  by  the  machine  as 
the  ballots  of  the  negro  voters  in  the  Eastern  counties. 

Democratic  regime  made  Davidson  county  show  a  Democratic  plurality  of  about 
1 00.  Under  an  honest  election  and  a  count  of  the  ballot  as  cast,  this  county  shows 
an  anti-Democratic  plurality  of  about  500. 

Democratic  regime  made  Surry  county  show  a  Democratic  plurality  of  about  300. 
Under  an  honest  election  law  this  county  shows  an  anti-Democratic  plurality  of  about 

500. 

Democratic  regime  made  Watauga  county  show  a  Democratic  plurality  of  about 
100.  Under  an  honest  election  law  this  county  shows  an  anti-Democratic  plurality  of 
about  150. 

Under  a  Democratic  regime  the  county  of  Forsyth  was  made  to  show  a  Demo- 
cratic plurality  of  about  600.  Under  the  honest  election  law  of  1896,  the  an'i-Demo- 
cratic  plurality  was  more  than  1,100. 

Under  Democratic  re°ime  Buncombe  county  went  Democratic  by  about  400  plu- 
rality. Under  an  honest  election  law  the  same  county  went  anti-Democratic  by  about 
400  plurality. 

Democratic  regime  made  Guilford  county  go  Democratic  by  about  300.  Under  an 
honest  election  law  the  same  county  went  anti-Democratic  in  1896  by  nearly  1,000. 

Let  it  be  repeated  again  that  these  figures  are  taken  from  the  official  records  of 
the  vote  for  Governor  in  1892  and  1896.  They  show  conclusively  that  the  Demo- 
cratic machine  fears  the  honesty  and  integrity  of  the  ballot;  that  it  fears  the  white 
vote  as  much  as  it  professes  to  fear  the  negro  vote,  and  that  the  only  way  it  pre- 
served life  for  itself  for  a  number  of  .years  was  by  stealing  and  falsely  counting'the 
ballots  of  white  and  colored  voters  alike.  Living  figures  attest  the  truth  of  this 
statement.  A  party  that  cannot  face  an  honest  ballot  is  a  party  to  be  both  feared 
and  despised  b}r  the  people. 

A  final  total  illustration  of  the  fraud  and  manipulation  of  the 

ballot  is  that  under  Democratic   regime  the  total    anTi-Demo- 

Cratic  vote  EOR  Governor  (1892)  was  142,000;  while  in  1896, 

•  under  an  honest  election  law,  the  total  anti-Democratic  vote 

for  Governor  was  184,000.     This  clearly  shows  that  there  had 


been,  under  the  Democratic  election  law,  a  stealing  or  manipula- 
tion of  from  30,000  to  40,000  votes  by  the  machine,  and  until  an 
outraged  people  defied  and  dared  that  machine  to  tamper  with,  their 
votes  any  further. 

The  appointment  of  ignorant  poll-holders  is  not  the  only  instance  of  official  pre- 
ferment given  to  the  negro  by  the  Democratic  party.  It  set  the  precedent  for 
appointing  negro  Justices  of  the  Peace.  A  Democratic  Legislature  appointed  and 
elected  a  large  number  of  negroes  as  magistrates  in  many  of  the  Eastern  counties 
of  the  State  in  1876-77.  It  is  true  that  this  course  was  opposed  by  nine  members 
of  the  Legislature,  who  entered  a  protest  against  it.  But  the  fact  remains  that  the 
Legislature,  being  Democratic,  made  the  appointments  and  thus  established  a 
course  of  procedure  which  the  Democratic  machine  and  press  now  think  it  a 
winning  policy  to  denounce.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  present  here  some  record  of 
this  action.  When  the  Legislature  of  i876-'77,  which  was  largely  Democratic, 
decided  to  appoint  these  negro  magistrates,  and  they  were  probably  as  numerous 
as  they  have  been  under  any  party  administration,  a  protest  was  formally  entered 
by  some  of  the  Democratic  members.  That  protest  appears  in  the  House  Journal 
of  i876-'77,  and  is  as  follows  : 

FROM  HOUSE  JOURNAL  1876-'77. 

Mr.  Moseley,  by  consent,  presented  the  following  protest  against  the  polic3r  of  a 
majority  of  the  General  Assembly,  pursued  in  the  election  of  Magistrates  yesterday, 
and  it  was  ordered  to  be  spread  upon  the  Journals  of  the  House  : 

A  PROTEST. 

"  The  undersigned,  respectfully  but  earnestly,  protest  against  the  policy  which 
appears  to  have  been  approved  by  ci  majority  of  the  Democratic  members  of  this 
General  Assembly  in  the  election  of  colored  magistrates  in  and  for  certain  counties 
of  this  State.  We  believe  that  in  the  said  election  of  magistrates  by  the  General 
Assembly,  a  record,  to  some  extent,  has  been  made  for  the  Democratic-Conserva- 
tive party  of  North  Carolina,  inconsistent  with  the  principles  and  purposes  of  the 
party  as  expressed  during  the  recent  and  previous  campaigns,  in  its  party  platform, 
and  as  expressed  by  its  thousands  of  speakers  upon  the  stump,  who  asserted  the 
superior^  both  by  nature  and  education  of  the  white  race  over  the  colored,  and 
the  consequent  greater  fitness  of  the  former  for  public  office  as  rulers  and  dispensers 
of  justice — a37e,  more  than  that,  who  maintained  unhesitatingl)*,  freely  and  repeat- 
edly, that  the  colored  people,  especially  as  citizens  in  the  same  county  and  govern- 
ment with  white  people,  were  absolutely  unfit  for  these  public  positions.  We 
believe  that  in  the  late  campaign  the  appeals  made  by  the  press  and  speakers  of  the 
Democratic -Conservative  party  to  the  pride  and  sympathy  of  the  white  race  in 
behalf  of  its  own  color,  to  secure  its  rescue  from  negro  domination,  was  in  every 
part  of  this  State,  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  effective  means  used  for  obtaining 
the  success  of  our  cause. 

"  We  express  the  belief  now,  that  these  principles  and  opinions  asserted  by  our 
party,  and  the  grounds  upon  which  we  based  our  appeals  to  our  white  brethren,  all 
being  in  harmony,  are  just  and  reasonable  and  true,  and  that  if  the  Democratic- 
Conservative  party  varies  from  its  position  in  behalf  of  white  supremacy,  it  will,  to 
some  extent  at  least,  lose  that  strength,  solidity  and  unity  of  purpose  resulting 
from  devotion  to  principle.  We  believe  that  in  the  black  Republican  counties  of 
the  eastern  portion  of  ihis  State,  or  wherever  they  may  be  found  in  the  State,  the 
fidelity  of  the  white  people  to  their  political  principles,  and  the  material  aid  the}- 
give  in  swelling  the  aggregate  vote  for  all  officers  elected  by  the  State  at  large,  and 
the  high  taxes  they  pay  to  carry  on  the  State  government,  and  for  other  purposes 
which  we  forbear  to  mention,  entitle  them  to  the  same  consideration  from  their 
party  friends  in  the  General  Assembly' which  Democratic  counties  receive  through 
their  members  elect. 


' '  While  we  would  exercise  and  advocate  the  right  and  practice  of  choosing  white 
men  for  office  in  preference  to  colored  men,  we  hereby  distinctly  disclaim  any 
desire  to  deny  the  colored  race  the  equal  rights  before  the  law  guaranteed  to  them 
by  the  14th  and  15th  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

' '  Our  feelings  toward  the  colored  people  are  kind  and  humane  in  every  particu- 
lar, and  we  believe  the  ultimate  effect  of  the  course  we  advocate,  if  pursued  by  our 
party,  will  be  best  for  the  country,  for  the  people,  both  white  and  black,  and  if  the 
latter  are  not  flattered  and  blinded  by  advocates  of  the  mistaken  policy  we  oppose, 
we  believe  many  of  them  will  be  able  to  see  the  situation  as  we  do,  and  that  thus, 
by  their  better  understanding,  we  may  hope  the  antagonism  between  the  white  and 
colored  races  will  subside,  and  their  difference  will  be  settled  upon  a  somewhat 
reliable  basis,  with  less  prospect  of  disturbance  than  if  we  abandon  the  principles 
and  policy  which  our  party  has  heretofore  maintained. 

' '  If  Democrats  do  what  they  have  persistently  abused  and  condemned  Republi- 
cans for  doing,  how  can  they  hope  to  escape  just  censure? 

"  We  protest  in  sorrow  rather  than  in  anger,  against  the  action  of  our  political 
associates,  who  we  believe,  with  pure  motives,  have  acted  unwisely,  nor  are  we  with- 
out hope  of  a  change  of  views  on  their  part  at  some  day  in  the  future,  however 
remote,  and  an  acknowledgment  by  them  of  the  correctness  of  the  position  we 
have  in  this  protest  assumed,  with  due  respect,  personally,  for  both  our  Democratic 
and  Republican  fellow-citizens.  (Signed)  "A.  G.  MoSELEY, 

A.  C.  Sharpe, 
N.  H.  FennEIvL, 
James  G.  Kenan, 
R.  W.  Singlet  ary, 
Walter  W.  King, 
R.  Jas.  Powell, 
John  M.  Houk, 
J.  B.  Hartsell." 

It  should  be  recalled,  with  some  significance,  that  the  bill  appointing  these  negro 
magistrates,  against  which  this  protest  was  entered,  passed  the  Democratic  Senate 
of  which  Thomas  J.  Jarvis  was  the  President,  and  yet,  there  is  the  spectacle  of  this 
same  Jarvis  to-day  joining  in  the  cry  of  "  Nigger." 

There  are  still  further  evidences  of  Democratic  preferment  for  the  negro  official. 
People  who  have  lived  long  enough  to  remember  the  instance,  easily  recall  the  con- 
tests for  the  position  of  Assistant  Door-keeper  in  iS7o-'7i  and  1872.  Democrats 
were  in  control  of  the  State  Senate  in  both  these  sessions  of  the  Legislature,  and  in 
both  instances  they  elected,  by  a  large  majority,  a  negro  named  Gtiilford  Christmas, 
of  Warren  couty,  as  Assistant  Door-keeper. 

It  is  recalled  by  some  that  at  one  of  these  sessions,  when  the  Democratic  caucus 
for  selecting  candidates  for  this  position  was  held,  a  crippled  Confederate  soldier 
named  Webster,  from  Chatham  county,  was  a  candidate  before  the  caucus  for  this 
office.  But  the  Democratic  majority,  in  its  vast  wisdom,  expressed  an  overwhelm- 
ing preferment  for  the  negro  candidate.  The  negro  candidate  received  the  caucus 
nomination  and  consequently  was  elected.  But  when  a  similar  action  is  taken  by 
another  party  the  Democratic  party  inaugurates  and  incessantly  vociferates  the  cry 
of  "negro  domination."  It  is  easy  to  conclude  that  this  cry  is  raised  simply  and 
solely  for  the  purposes  already  mentioned — that  is,  to  incite  ill  feeling,  prejudice 
and  viciousness,  and  to  try,  by  appealing  to  the  lowest  passions,  to  accomplish 
what  common  sense  and  reason  and  a  reference  to  Democratic  records  would  never 
permit. 

The  Democratic  machine  has  so  long  been,  and  is  now  so  determined,  that  the 
cry  of  '"Nigger"  shall  be  its  campaign  slogan,  that  when  no  real  instance  or  circum- 
stance can  be  found  on  which  to  base  that  cry,  they  are  manufactured  for  special 
use.     Here  is  an  illustration: 

Several  years  ago  the  Democrats  raised  a  wail  of  woe  over  the  report  that  in 


some  Eastern  county  a  white  woman,  a  pauper,  had  been  let  by  the  county  to  a 
negro  to  keep  because  the  negro  had  made  the  lowest  bid  to  the  county.  Flaming 
cartoons  and  wild  pictures  were  scattered  over  the  State  showing  the  horrors  of  the 
scene.  There  was  truth  in  the  report,  but  investigation  showed  that  this  white 
woman  (if  she  was  white),  was  the  mother  OF  THE  negro  to  whom  she  had 
BEEN  farmed  duT.  But,  nevertheless,  the  Democratic  machine  made  this  inci- 
dent the  chief  basis  of  its  campaign. 

To-da3^,  in  the  year  of  grace  1898,  the  State  is  being  flooded  with  Democratic 
cartoons  showing  white  girls  and  white  ladies  subjecting  themselves  and  their 
private  apartments  to  the  private  inspection  of  a  negro,  the  ladies  being  represented 
as  pupils  or  teachers  in  a  State  institution.  A  more  villainous  and  vile  slander  was 
never  perpetrated  against  the  white  women  of  North  Carolina  by  any  scoundrelly 
biped  claiming  to  be  a  white  man.  Anyone  with  the  least  instinct  of  common 
decency  knows  that  such  a  proceeding  would  not  be  submitted  to  by  the  white 
women  of  this  State.  They  would  unhesitatingly  and  with  inexpressible  indigna- 
tion leave  any  institution  on  earth  sooner  than  endure  even  the  mere  suggestion  of 
such  a  procedure. 

The  cartoons,  with  the  comments  under  them,  attempt  to  leave  the  impression 
that  the  negro  man  is  chairman  of  and  controls  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  State 
.  Institution  for  the  Blind,  and  that  in  the  capacity  of  ' '  boss  ' '  and  member  of  the 
Board  he  goes  officially  and  alone  through  the  private  apartments  of  the  Institution 
on  visits  of  inspection.  All  this  is  intended  to  fool  the  people — to  deceive  them — 
to  make  them  believe  what  is  pictured  actually  occurs,  and  is  intended  to  make  the 
public  believe  that  such  proceedings  are  sanctioned  by  the  present  anti-Democratic 
administration.  Well,  a  meaner,  baser,  more  contemptible  falsehood  and  slander 
on  white  women  was  never  spawned  by  the  low-born,  sneaking,  cowardly  defamer 
who  invented  it  and  circulated  it.  No  negro  has  ever  been  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Institution,  and  there  was  no  negro  member  of  the  Board  when 
these  cartoons  were  sent  out.  But  this  makes  no  difference  to  the  Democratic 
machine  and  its  minions,  i^n  organized  liar  will  not  stop  lying  simply  because  it 
cannot  find  something  to  lie  about.     It  will  invent  something. 

There  are  some  instances  which  the  Democratic  machine  press  might  embellish 
and  put  forth,  greatly  to  the  edification  of  its  readers,  if  it  chose  to  do  so,  but  in 
these  particular  instances  that  same  Democratic  presses  deathly  silent. 

It  might  tell  that  the  Democratic  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Warren 
county  did  actually  farm  out  a  poor  white  woman  to  a  negro  named  Fleming.  This 
is  a  fact  of  record.     Why  not  "  horrify  "  over  it? 

It  might  tell  that  the  Democratic  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Mitchell 
county  bound  out  two  helpless  little  white  orphans  to  a  negro.  This  is  a  fact  of 
record.     Why  not  "horrify  "  over  it? 

It  might  tell  that  M.  F.  Thornton,  the  negro  Register  of  Deeds  of  Warren  county 
has  been  bonded  by  such  Democrats  as  O.  T.  Powell,  Robt.  B.  Thornton  and  Sol. 
Buxton  Williams,  and  that  some  of  these  Democrats  have  acted  as  Thornton's 
deputies.  This  is  a  fact  of  record.  Why  not  raise  the  cry  of  Democrats  aiding  and 
abetting  "  negro  domination  ?  " 

The  foregoing  figures  and  illustrations  are  presented  as  object-lessons  only. 
They  are  no  argument,  and  do  not  constitute  a  discussion  as  to  the  right  of  the 
negro  race  to  rule.  Such  questions  are  invariably  settled  when  a  settlement  is 
needed.  But  what  has  been  shown  and  recited  is  an  argument  to  the  effect  that 
the  course  of  the  Democratic  machine  is  of  a  low,  hypocritical  and  sneaking  char- 


IO 

acter.  It  has  failed  to  command  the  respect  and  suppo'rt  of  the  people  by  its  record, 
and  now  seeks  to  gain  support  solely  and  only  by  efforts  to  inflame  the  evil  natures 
of  men  to  such  an  extent  as  to  result  in  political  anarchy  and  civil  riot. 

For  such  a  course  as  this  there  is  no  necessity,  nor  is  there  any  sort  of  reason. 
Neither  this  State  nor  any  other  State  will  ever  be  governed  and  controlled  by  any 
but  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  as  long  as  that  race  shall  dwell  in  it.  Powers,  both  moral 
and  physical,  sustain  the  statement.  The  moral  power  is  the  innate  consciousness 
of  superiority  on  the  part  of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  which  will  forever  keep  him  in  the 
ascendancy^  and  a  recognition  by  all  other  races  of  that  superiority. 

The  physical  power  is  the  great  disparity  of  numbers  between  the  races,  espec- 
ially in  North  Carolina,  where,  according  to  the  census  of  1890,  the  population  is 
as  follows  : 

Total  population 1,617,000 

Colored 562,000 

White 1,055,000 

These  facts  alone  make  the  hysterical  cry  of  "  nigger  supremacy  "  by  the  Demo- 
cratic party  sink  into  an  absurdity  and  farce  too  pronounced  to  permit  faithful 
description.  •- 

And  now  note  carefully. 

When  the  Democratic  machine  was  manipulating  and  stealing  the  ballots  of  both 
white  and  colored  voters  alike,  as  shown  in  the  foregoing  pages,  that  same  machine 
was  squalling  "nigger"  for  the  purpose  of  trying  to  divert  the  attention  of  the 
people  from  its  dirty  work.     Do  yotj  SEE  ? 

SMOKE  THE  RASCALS  OUT. 

It  was  remarked  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  "  that  in  nearly  all  cases  in 
which  a  negro  has  made  assumptions,  either  political^  or  socially,  in  such  a  way 
as  to  be  repulsive  to  the  Caucasian  race,  it  has  been  at  the  instigation  of  some  low, 
venal,  white  wretch,  acting  as  the  tool  of  Democratic  party  wire-pullers."  This 
statement  needs  no  proof  to  observant  men,  but  for  the  benefit  of  anyone  who  may 
read  this  pamphlet,  and  may  refuse  to  believe  any  unsupported  assertion  on  account 
of  his  partisan  prejudices'  and  blindness,  a  few  illustrations  are  given.  They  could 
be  multiplied  almost  indefinitely. 

A  DEMOCRAT  HIRES  A  NEGRO  TO  BREAK  THE  LAW. 

[CAUCASIAN.] 

The  following  communication  appeared  in  the  Winston  Republican.  We  did  not 
publish  it  at  the  time,  but  have  waited  and  taken  the  time  to  ascertain  whether  or 
not  the  statements  made  were  facts.  We  have  found  that  they  are  true.  But  even 
if  we  had  published  it  then  and  had  afterwards  learned  that  it  was  a  lie  we  would 
have  been  fair,  honest  and  decent  enough  to  have  made  the  corrections.  The  com- 
munication in  full  is  as  follows: 

Editor  Winston  Republican: — The  Democratic  press  have  been  profuse  in  their 
lies  about  Republicans;  what  will  they  have  to  say  about  these  facts  from  Johnston  ? 

At  the  last  September  term  of  Johnston  Court,  Rufus  Parker,  a  white  man  and  a 
leading  Democrat,  was  convicted  for  having  hired  a  negro,  Ben  Bunn,  to  cowhide 


II 

E.  W.  Boyd,  a  white  man,  who  was  also  a  Democrat.  Parker  sent  the  negro  to 
tell  Boyd  he  wanted  him  at  his  house,  and  when  the  latter  came  he  sent  him  to  his 
barn  lot  and  Parker  went  and  stood  by  while  the  negro  whipped  Boyd  with  a  horse 
whip,  cutting  him  severely. 

Parker's  brother  was  a  Democratic  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  he  issued  a  warrant 
against  the  negro  immediately  and  fined  him  one  penny  and  costs.  In  the  face  of 
all  these  facts  a  host  of  Democrats  testified  in  court  to  the  good  character  of  Parker, 
s»me  of  whom  testified  to  the  bad  character  of  Boyd,  though  some  of  them  gave 
him  a  good  character,  and  all  who  knew  him  testified  that  he  was  a  sickly  fellow 
with  but  little  sense. . 

After  the  jury  convicted  Parker  and  the  court  ordered  him  in  custody  of  the 
Sheriff,  his  hosts  of  admiring  friends  implored  the  court  not  to  send  him  to  jail  for 
the  night  as  he  could  give  bond  in  any  amount  for  his  appearance  the  next  morn- 
ing, but  he  went  to  jail. 

The  next  morning  the  "  Nancy  Hanks  "  of  the  Democratic  party,  C.  B.  Aycock, 
appeared  in  behalf  of  Parker,  but  the  Court  was  inexorable,  and  sent  him  to  jail 
for  six  months. 

The  Democratic  constable  at  Selma  was  also  convicted  for  getting  a  drunken 
white  man  in  the  back  yard  of  a  bar-room  at  Selma,  to  be  horse-whipped  by  one 
Preston  Blackman  and  Jas.  Parker.  This  Democratic  official  was  sent  to  jail  for 
twelve  months,  and  Blackman,  who  was  a  Democratic  local  heeler,  was  at  the  same 
term  convicted  of  stealing  an  ox,  the  property  of  Dr.  Vick,  and  sent  to  the  Peni- 
tentiary for  one  year.  Jas.  Parker,  who  is  the  nephew  of  a  New  York  banker,  has 
sufficient  political  pull  to  get  into  the  lunatic  asylum  until  after  Court  adjourns. 

This  is  the  way  things  are  worked  in  the  banner  Democractic  county  of  Johnston. 

More  anon.  Johxston. 

Smithfield,  N.  C,  Nov.  29,  1897. 

DEMOCRATS  HELP  TO  ELECT  NEGRO  POLICEMEN. 
[For  The  Caucasian.] 

Weidox,  N  C,  December  1,  1897. 
Noticing  the  comment  of  your  taper  on  the  Chappell  incident,  I  wish  to  state 
that  recently  in  this  town,  in  which  a  majority  of  the  commissioners  are  Demo- 
crats, and  the  mayor  a  Democrat,  with  several  negroes  on  the  Board,  all  elected  by 
Democrats  and  negroes  fusing,  there  is  a  chief  of  police  and  one  other  white 
■policeman,  with  several  negro  policemen,  elected  by  the  aid  of  white  Democrats. 
I  saw  recently  a  travelling  photographer  arrested  by  a  negro  policeman  on  a  war- 
rant from  a  Democratic  magistrate,  and  marched  along  the  street  under  this 
colored  guard.  I  have  seen  such  things  before,  and  there  has  been  no  comment. 
I  believe  in  fair  play.  They  talk  so  much  about  fusion,  yet  they  fuse  with  the 
negro  in  nearly  every  town  in  the  count}-.  "X." 

DEMOCRATS  WANT  NEGRO  POSTMASTERS. 

Kinston,  N.  C,  November  9,  1S97. 

Editor  Caucasian: — I  have  no'.iced  that  the  railroad  and  monopoly  organs  and 
politicians  are  having  a  good  deal  to  say  about  the  negro  postmasters  which  Mc- 
Kinley  has  appointed  to  fill  offices  in  North  Carolina.  They  brazenly  charge  that 
the  People's  party  is  responsible  for  McKinley  appointing  these  negro  postmasters, 
ignoring  the  fact  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  People's  party-  Bryan  could  not 
have  carried  this  State  in  the  last  campaign.  In  fact  it  is  noticeable  that  the  papers 
and  politicians  who  are  loudest  mouthed  in  their  denunciation  of  our  part}'  as 
being  responsible  for  the  evil  of  negro  domination,  under  which  they  allege  the 
State  is  now  suffering,  are  the  very  same  papers  and  politicians  who,  in  the  last 
campaign,  did  all  in  their  power  to  turn  the  State  over  to  McKinley. 

But  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  review  their  past  conduct.  Their  present  effort  to 
make  political  capital  out  of  negro  postmasters  makes  the  trick  which  is  now  being 
worked  by  so-called  leading  Democrats  in  this  town,  suggestive.  I  therefore 
address  you  this  communication  to  inform  you  of  it,  and  I  hope  you  will  publish 
it  in  your  paper,  for  I  have  no  doubt  the  same  thing  is  being  done  under  cover  in 
other  towns  in  the  State. 


12 

i 

The  case  briefly  stated  is  this:  There  is  a  negro  here,  J.  C.  Hargett,  who  is  an 
applicant  for  the  post-office  at  this  place.  The  Democrats,  thinking  that  if  he  is 
appointed,  it  will  make  political  capital  for  them  and  will  enable  them  to  easily 
carry  the  county  Democratic,  are  not  content  with  secretly  wishing  him  appointed 
but  have  actually  begun,  under  cover,  an  active  work  in  his  interest.  They  have 
circulated  a  petition  setting  out  the  fact  that  Hargett  is  a  negro  of  good  character, 
and  that  he  would  make  a  good  postmaster.  They  have  done  this  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  Hargett  at  one  time  was  guilty  of  raising  the  amount  of  a  check  that 
was  given  him  and  was  obliged  to  skip  to  keep  from  being  prosecuted.  They  will, 
no  doubt,  circulate  this  information  after  he  is  appointed. 

Yes  sir,  it  is  a  fact  that  so  called  leading  Democrats  of  this  town  have  signed  this 
negro  Hargett 's  petition  for  the  post-office  at  this  place.  I  have  the  names  of  these 
Democrats,  and  if  my  statement  is  denied  or  questioned  I  will  publish  their  names 
and  prove  that  they  were  on  the  petition  by  the  affidavits  of  persons  who  saw  them 
there. 

Now,  is  not  this  a  pretty  spectacle  ?  These  are  the  class  of  men,  the  State  over, 
who,  on  the  street  corners,  in  their  places  of  business,  and  in  their  homes  express 
such  horror  of  negro  domination,  of  negroes  being  elevated  to  positions  of  trust  over 
whites,  and  say  what  a  shame  it  is  for  negroes  to  be  put  in  post-offices  where  their 
wives  and  daughters  have  to  go  to  call  for  their  mail;  and  yet  they,  at  heart,  care 
so  little  for  this  that  they  are  secretly  doing  all  that  they  can  in  this  town  (and  I 
have  no  doubt  it  is  so  in  others)  to  put  negroes  in  post-offices  simply  because  they 
think  it  will  give  them  party  advantage.  It  is  such  things  as  these  which  prove 
the  hypocrisy  of  these  so-called  Democrats  in  their  loud  professions  for  white 
supremacy,  and  make  clear  their  object.  Honest  men  are  disgusted  with  their 
trickery  and  deceit. 

The  writer  is  a  Populist  and  is  in  favor  of  white  supremacy,  but  lie  believes  that 
the  line  of  fight  which  the  Caucasian  is  making  is  the  fight  to  win  true  white 
supremacy  and  to  defeat  monopoly  rule  and  corrupt  machine  politicians. 

Yours  truly,  JUEwis  Grady. 

A  COLORED  DEMOCRATIC  DEPUTY  SHERIFF. 

[Chatham  County  Citizen,  August,  1898.] 

Mr.  R.  H.  Hayes  was  around  recently  inquiring  how  many  negro  constables  there 
are  in  the  county.  He  was  told  that  there  are  none.  However,  there  has  been  one 
in  the  county  who  acted  as  constable  or  deputy  sheriff — possibly  that  will  answer 
their  purpose.  There  is  a  paper  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  Superior  Court 
here,  on  the  back  of  which  is  the  following  return  : 

"  I  hereby  deputize  Jordan  Bray  to  serve  the  within  subpoena.  This  Feb.  15th, 
1892.  Spence  Tayeor,  Sheriff. 

"  Rec'd  Feb.  15th,  1892.  Served  Feb.  17th,  1892,  by  reading  the  within  subpoena 
to  the  witness.  Spence  Tayeor,  Sheriff. 

by  Jordan  Bray,  D.  S. ' ' 

This  paper  was  served  on  five  white  men — Frank  Fields,  Bud  Eane,  Wm.  Ellis, 
E.  W.  Phillips  and  Wm.  Welch — and  one  colored  man,  Tod  Forrester.  Jordan 
Bray,  who  acted  Deputy  Sheriff  under  Spence  Taylor,  Democratic  Sheriff,  is  a 
colored  man;  furthermore,  at  that  time  an  ex-convict  just  from  the  penitentiary, 
we  are  reliably  informed,  not  having  been  restored  to  citizenship  and  was,  there- 
fore, not  a  citizen  when  he  acted  as  D.  S.  for  the  Democratic  sheriff. 

And  it  may  be  of  interest  to  our  readers  to  know  that  "  Deputy  Sheriff  "  Jordan 
Bray  voted  the  Democratic  ticket  when  a  citizen. 

As  Democrats  are  hunting  for  negro  officers  and  favors  shown  ex-convicts,  this 
may  be  of  service  to  them. 


*3 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  NEGRO  SCHOOL  COMMITTEEMEN. 

Wii^on,  N.  C,  November  17,  1897. 

Editor  Caucasian: — In  the  "nigger  racket"  campaign,  which  the  Ransom 
machine  has  begun,  our  Democratic  brethren  in  Wilson  county  find  themselves 
very  much  handicapped  by  their  own  action.  They  are  out  of  the  band-wagon 
entirely,  and  the  attitude  in  which  they  have  placed  themselves  is  a  ridiculous  one, 
to  say  the  least,  and  it  is  all  on  account  of  being  too  previous.  The  trouble  is  this: 
Before  the  fiat  had  gone  forth  from  the  Democratic  machine  that  Bryan  an/L  the 
reform  issues  for  which  he  fought  should  be  relegated  to  the  rear,  and  that  the 
State  campaign  must  be  fought  on  the  race  question,  the  Democrats  of  Wilson 
fused.  Yes  sir,  they  fused,  but  that  is  not  all  of  the  painful  truth.  They  fused 
with  the  Republicans  !  Think  of  it  !  Fused  with  the  party  that  stands  for  negro 
domination  and  control  of  our  State  institutions  !  !  But  this  is  not  all  yet.  They 
fused  to  put  negroes  in  office.  I  would  that  the  Democratic  papers  had  relieved 
me  of  the  painful  duty  of  unfolding  this  tale,  which  is  indeed  enough  to  harrow 
up  the  very  soul  of  the  monopoly  organs  and  politicians,  but  as  they  have  not,  it 
must  be  told.     It  runs  thusly : 

On  the  first  Monday  in  June,  the  time  provided  by  law  for  the  election  of  a 
county  board  of  education,  J.  T.  Sharp,  Republican  Senator  from  this  district,  in 
the  interest  of  his  Republican  friends,  made  a  fusion  proposition  to  the  Democratic 
Clerk  of  the  Court,  two  Democrats,  who  claimed  to  be  Commissioners  by  virtue  of 
appointment  (who  were  not  elected  by  the  people),  and  the  Republican  Register 
of  Deeds,  to  co  operate  and  take  charge  of  the  schools  of  the  county.  The  Demo- 
crats, knowing  that  unless  there  was  a  fusion  between  them  and  the  Republicans 
to  control  the  schools,  the  management  of  the  schools  of  Wilson  would  fall  into  the 
hanas  of  the  Populist  county  commissioners  who  were  duly  elected  by  the  people, 
immediately  accepted  the  Republican  proposition.  (You  know  that  as  much  as 
the  Democrats  are  opposed  to  fusion  between  Republicans  and  Populists,  they  love 
to  take  a  hand  at  it  themselves  when  it  promises  them  power).  This  "unholy  " 
alliance  of  Democrats  and  Republicans  at  once  proceeded  to  elect  George  W.  Con- 
nor, Democrat,  Nathan  Bass,  Democrat,  and  S.  H.  Vick,  Republican,  and  a  negro 
to  boot,  as  a  Board  of  Education  for  the  county,  ignoring  entirely  the  Populist 
Board  of  County  Commissioners,  who  were  elected  by  a  large  majority  of  the  quali- 
fied voters  of  the  county,  and  who  had  appointed  a  County  Board  of  Education 
composed  of  white  men  entirely.  I  hope  this  startling  statement  will  not  be  too 
much  of  a  strain  upon  our  naturally  credulous  people  of  North  Carolina.  I  con- 
fess I  would  not  have  believed  it  myself  if  I  did  not  know  it  to  be  true.  And  if 
they  had  only  stopped  at  putting  a  negro  (who,  by  the  way,  was  postmaster  of 
Wilson  under  Harrison's  administration,  and  who  was  Congressman  White's  man 
for  the  same  position  this  time,  and  who  would  have  gotten  it  if  the  Democratic 
incumbent  had  not  been  confirmed  before  the  expiration  of  Cleveland's  term,)  on 
the  Board  of  Education,  it  would  not  have  been  so  bad;  but  they  even  went  further 
and  appointed  at  least  one  negro  school  committeeman  for  each  township  in  the 
county.  They  have  done  this,  too,  in  spite  of  their  allegation  that  these  negro 
school  committeemen  control  the  white  schools  of  the  different  townships. 

Mr.  Editor,  were  I  to  follow  my  own  inclination  I  would  stop  here,  but  the  worst 
is  yet  to  be  told.  The  JVcws  and  Observer  heartily  applauded  the  action  of  the 
Democrats  of  Wilson  county  and  said  that  they  had  acted  right,  which  meant  that 
they  did  right  to  put  negroes  on  the  County  Board  of  Education  when  they  had 
the  opportunity  of  accepting  a  board  composed  entirely  of  white  men,  and  men, 
every  one  of  them,  in  whom  there  is  no  guile,  and  who  are  distinguished  for  a  life- 
long devotion  to  right  and  an  uncompromising  condemnation  and  opposition  to 
wrong;  that  they  did  right  in  placing  at  least  one  negro  on  the  school  committee 
in  every  township. 

We  think  we  remember  to  have  seen  somewhere  in  some  Democratic  papers  that 
all  this  was  wrong,  but  I  guess  my  memory  is  either  at  fault  or  the  elastic  conscience 
of  Democrats  will  permit  them  to  do  anything  that  will  suit  their  purposes,  and  it 
will  still  be  right.     You  know  they  always  do  right  ? 

Yours  truly,  A  Bryan  Populist. 


•    14 

AN  ACT  WHICH  BURNS  THE   BRAND  OF  HYPOCRITE  AND  LIAR 
ON  THE  DEMOCRATIC   MACHINE. 

In  1889  and  1890  there  was  a  considerable  movement  of  negroes  from  the  State, 
which  was  referred  to  as  "  the  exodus. ' '  It  was  largely  promoted  by  persons  known 
as  emigrant  agents.  The  mortal  dread  of  "  negro  domination  "  on  the  part  of  the 
Democratic  machine  ought  to  have  inspired  that  machine  to  hail  with  delight  these 
emigrant  agents  as  the  saviors  of  the  State.  Did  they  do  that  ?  Not  much.  The 
machine  elected  a  Legislature  in  1891,  and  here  is  one  of  its  laws — 

The  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina  do  enact: 

' '  Section  i  .  That  from  and  after  the  ratification  of  this  act  no  person  shall  cany- 
on the  business  of  an  emigrant  agent  in  this  State  without  having  first  obtained  a 
license  therefor  from  the  State  Treasurer. 

Sec.  2.  That  the  term  "emigrant  agent,"  as  contemplated  in  this  act,  shall  be 
construed  to  mean  any  person  engaged  in  hiring  laborers  in  this  State  to  be  employed 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  same. 

"  SEC.  3.  That  any  person  shall  be  entitled  to  a  license,  which  shall  be  good  for 
one  3'ear,  upon  the  payment  into  the  State  Treasur}^,  for  the  the  use  of  the  State, 
of  one  thousand  dollars  in  each  county  in  which  he  operates  or  solicits  emigrants 
for  each  year  so  engaged. 

.  "  SEC  4.  That  any  person  doing  the  business  of  an  emigrant  agent  without  hav- 
ing first  obtained  such  license  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  upon  convic- 
tion shall  be  punished  by  fine  not  less  than  five  hundred  dollars  and  not  more  than 
five  thousand  dollars,  or  may  be  imprisoned  in  the  county  jail  not  less  than  four 
months,  or  confined  in  the  State  prison  at  hard  labor  not  exceeding  two  years  for 
each  and  every  offence,  within  the  discretion  of  the  court. 

' '  SEC.  5.  That  this  act  shall  not  apply  to  any  county  west  of  the  line  as  at  present 
established  by  law  for  the  receiving  of  patients  by  the  North  Carolina  Insane  Asy- 
lum, except  the  counties  of  Mecklenburg,  Moore,  Anson,  Richmond,  Cleveland, 
Gaston,  Lincoln  and  Catawba. 

"  SEC.  6.  That  this  act  shall  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  ratification. 

"  Ratified  the  6th  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1891." 

And  thus  it  appears  that  the  machine  invoked  the  majesty  of  the  law  to  keep 
within  the  State  something  against  which  it  now  professes  to  view  with  horror. 

AN  AGGRAVATED  AND  INFAMOUS  CASE. 

One  of  the  most  aggravated  and  infamous  cases  of  Democratic  tool  instigation  of 
meanness  for  political  ends  occurred  at  Wilmington  since  the  15th  of  August,  1898. 
A  negro  named  Manly  conducts  a  paper  in  that  city  and  has,  beyond  doubt,  been 
made  the  scapegoat  of  the  vile  meanness  of  some  Democratic  machine  touter.  He 
recently  published  the  following  impudent  and  villainous  editorial : 

"  Poor  white  men  are  careless  in  the  matter  of  protecting  their  women;  especially 
on  farms,  they  are  careless  of  their  conduct  toward  them,  and  our  experience  among 
poor  white  people  in  the  country  teaches  us  that  the  women  of  that  race  are  not 
any  more  particular  in  the  matter  of  clandestine  meetings  with  the  colored  men 
than  are  the  white  men  with  colored  women.  Meetings  of  this  kind  go  on  for 
some  time  until  the  woman's  infatuation  or  the  man's  boldness  bring  attention  to 
them,  and  the  man  is  lynched  for  rape.  Every  negro  lynched  is  called  a  '  big, 
burly,  black  brute,'  when  in  fact  many  of  those  who  have  thus  been  dealt  with  had 
white  men  for  their  fathers,  and  were  not  only  not  '  black  '  and  '  burly,'  but  were 
sufficiently  attractive  for  white  girls  of  culture  and  refinement  to  fall  in  love  with 
them,  as  is  well  known  to  all." 

The  insufferable  and  infamous  slander  continued  in  this  utterance  is  sufficient  to 
madden  anybody,  but  the  well-founded  suspicion  of  the  main  cause  and  instiga- 


i5 

tion  of  it  is  worse.  This  negro  makes  no  sort  of  pretence  of  belonging  to  the 
People's  Party.  He  is  officially  repudiated  and  condemned  by  the  Republican 
Party,  and  the  unavoidable  conclusion  is  that  he  is  a  tool  and  scapegoat  of  the 
Democratic  machine.  And  this  does  not  appear  to  be  all.  The  Democratic 
machine  papers,  of  course,  gobbled  up  this  editorial,  and  are  trying  to  make  politi- 
cal "  nigger  question  "  campaign  thunder  of  it  from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the 
other.  And  in  addition  to  this,  it  seems  that  another  low,  vile,  Democratic  machine 
tool  wrote  an  anonymous  note  to  the  negro,  stating  that  he  must  leave  the  town  in 
bvrenty-four  hours,  or  caused  a  spreading  of  the  report  that  such  a  note  had  been 
written.  This  was  for  the  evident  purpose  of  instigating  a  race  riot,  over  which 
more  campaign  thunder  would  have  been  made,  but  it  failed. 

The  Republican  County  Committee  of  New  Hanover  county  thus  officially 
repudiates  both  the  negro  and  the  blander,  as  follows  : 

"Whereas,  A  little  paper  published  in  this  city  (Wilmington),  called  The  Daily 
Record,  printed  in  its  issue  of  a  recent  date  (August  18,  1898),  an  article  which  is 
a  base  and  vile  libel  upon  countless  thousands  of  good  people,  '  poor  white  people 
in  the  country'  especially;  and, 

"  Whereas,' The  Democratic  papers  here  have  copied  said  article,  and  given  it 
prominence,  and  are  seeking  to  place  the  responsibility  of  its  composition  and  pub- 
lication upon  the  Republican  party,  for  political  purposes,  declaring  that  said  paper 
(  The  Daily  Record),  is  'the  organ  of  ihe  Republican-Populist  fusion  political 
crowd,'  etc.,  and,  _  ' 

"  Whereas,  In  truth  and  in  fact,  the  said  Daily  Record  is  not  now  nor  never  has 
been  the  Republican  or  fusion  organ,  and  is  not  even  regarded  by  our  party  as  a 
Republican  or  fusion  paper,  but  is  generally  classed  and  regarded  as  a  kicking, 
disorganizing  concern,  being  published  by  a  few  individuals  who  seem  to  think  of 
nothing  but  their  own  importance  and  aggrandizement,  and  edited  by  an  irrespon- 
sible upstart,  who  represents  only  himself  and  his  own  views  in  what  he  writes, 
now, 

"Resolved,  That  we  denounce  the  article  referred  to  as  a  base  libel;  we  repudiate 
and  denounce  the  writer  of  it  as  a  michief -making  simpleton,  and  declare  that  he 
represents  and  expresses  only  his  own  views  and  sentiments  in  said  article,  and  we 
urge  any  and  all  Republicans  who  are  now  taking  The  Record  to  discontinue  it, 
and  leave  it  to  be  supported  by  the  Democrats,  whose  interest  it  is  now  serving  and 
advancing  by  its  foolish  and  reprehensible  conduct. 

"Resolved,  further,  That  we  denounce  and  condemn  the  course  and  action  of 
the  Democratic  papers  in  trying  to  place  the  responsibility  of  the  libelous  article 
upon  the  Republican  party,  when  they  either  know,  or  could  easily  have  ascer- 
tained, that  our  party  not  only  did  not  endorse  the  article,  but  condemned  it 
equally  as  strongly  as  they  did." 

And  so  it  appears  that  the  Republican  party  denounces  the  odious  editorial  and 
plainly  says  that  it  is  designed  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  Democratic  party. 

Some  Populists  are  publicly  quoted  as  saying  that  the  negro  defamer  and  slan- 
derer ought  to  be  asked  to  leave  the  State. 

But  nothing  of  this  kind  comes  from  the  Democratic  machine  or  its  press.  Their 
tool  is  too  valuable  to  them,  in  their  own  estimation,  to  be  repudiated  or  denounced 
or  asked  to  leave  the  State.  Their  only  course  is  to  manifest  the  greatest  glee  over 
their  success  in  securing  so  much  to  talk  about,  and  to  roll  the  editorial  as  a  sweet 
morsel  under  their  tongues  !  !  !  1 

In  all  the  history  of  newspaperdom  in  this  State  there  has  been  only  one  instance 
of  vile  slander  that  can  parallel  this.  That  instance  is  the  editorials  and  column 
articles  of  the  News  and  Observer  in  malevolently  and  malignantly  charging  that 
the  daughter  of  Sheriff  Aldridge,  of  Pamlico  county,  was  the  victim  and  paramour 
of  a  negro  man,  with  wretched  results.     This  disreputable,  lying  sheet  thus  perpe- 


i6 

trated  a  slander  on  the  white  women  of  the  State  far  more  foul  and  villianous,  if 
possible,  than  anything  contained  in  the  base  editorial  of  the  negro  paper;  and  it  is 
possible  that  the  macjhine  press,  or  a  part  of  it  at  least,  aided  and  abetted  the  Ne-ws 
and  Observer  in  its  immeasurable  infamy.  The  two  papers — the  negro  paper  and 
the  Ne-ws  and  Observer — thus  appear  to  be  TWO  OF  A  KIND — GROSS,  INDECENT, 
Foud-mouThed  slanderers.  Both  are  the  agents  and  tools  of  a  satanic  machina- 
tion. The  same  genius  of  low,  opprobrious  slander  that  inspired  one  inspired  the 
other  to  the  utterances  made.  An  equality  of  damnable  insolence  is  clearly  shown 
by  the  two,  and  they  are  simply  twins  in  defamation. 

These  parallel  cases  bring  up  a  reflection.  When  the  Ne-ws  and  Observer 
uttered  its  unrestrained  and  barbarous  slander  on  the  white  women,  why  did  not 
the  Democratic  machine  press  arise  and  pour  out  its  vials  of  wrath  and  condemna- 
tion on  that  sheet  ?  Ah !  The  purposes  of  the  machine  could  not  have  been  subserved 
by  such  a  course.  And  so  it  seems  that  a  white  man  may,  by  grace  of  the  machine 
press,  go  uncondemned  and  unscathed  for  attempting  to  calumniate  and  dishonor 
white  women  !  This  goes  to  a  point  of  baseness  and  depravity  beyond  which  there 
is  no  descent.  What  wolfish,  devilish,  fiendish  hypocrisy  is  portrayed  by  such  a 
course  ! ! 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  NEGRO  ALDERMEN  IN  PLYMOUTH. 

Plymouth,  N.  C,  August  31,  1898. 
For  many  years  the  municipal  elections  for  the  town  of  Plymouth  have  been 
held  with  party  lines  entirely  ignored — the  temperance  people  on  one  side  and 
anti-terfiperance  on  the  other.  Some  Democrats  have,  and  continue  to  vote  for 
the  anti  temperance  negroes  in  the  fourth  ward,  and  always  succeed  in  electing 
them.  Yours  truly,  J.  M.  Bateman. 

DEMOCRATS  ACCEPT  A  NEGRO  AGAINST  A  WHITE  MAN. 

Tileery,  N  C,  August  25,  1892. 
In  1892  the  Populists  of  Darden  and  Jamesville  townships,  Martin  county,  nomi- 
nated Joe  Swinson,  a  white  man,  for  township  counstable,  while  the  Democrats 
nominated  Joe  Ray,  a  colored  man.  Swinson  polled  128  more  votes  than  Ray,  and 
went  up  with  his  bond.  The  Democratic  Commissioners  refused  to  accept  his  bond,, 
but  did  accept  Ray's  bond  and  put  him  in  office  over  his  victorious  opponent. 

T.  E.  McCaskey. 
NOTE. — Three  Democrats  signed  the  negro's  bond. 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  SCHOOL  COMMITTEEMEN  IN  CRAVEN  COUNTY. 

The  records  of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Craven  county  show  the 
following : 

"Afternoon  Session." 

"  Board  met  pursuant  to  adjournment  at  3  o'clock  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a. 
Board  of  Education.  Present,  Commissioners  E.  G.  Hill,  J.  A.  Bryan,  E.  W. 
Smallwood,  R.  G.  Moseley,  R.  P.  Williams. 

"  Mr.  Jas.  A.  Bryan  (Democrat)  placed  in  nomination  for  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion the  following  named  persons,  viz  :  E.  H.  Meadows,  S.  W.  Latham  and  C.  E. 
Palmer." 

The  proceedings  go  on  to  show  that  these  three  men  were  elected.  They  were 
nominated  by  Jas.  A.  Bryan,  Democrat.  Two  of  them,  E.  H.  Meadows  and  Samuel 
Latham,  are  Democrats.  C.  E.  Palmer  is  a  colored  Republican,  and  these  two- 
Democrats  and  one  Republican  elected  every  colored  school  committeeman  in 
Craven  county,  over  whom  the  Democratic  machine  is  now  attempting  to  raise  such 
a  sensation. 


i7 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  NEGROES  IN  NEW  BERNE. 

Democratic  boards  in  the  city  of  New  Berne  have  appointed  at  various  times  the 
following  negroes  as  policemen  :  T.  R.  Richardson,  J.  J.  Moseley,  Charley  Rich- 
ardson, Jas.  Dudley,  Alph  Ward,  Caesar  Lewis,  Virgil  Windley,  George  Richardson. 
The  Democratic  board  also  appointed  J.  Stamps,  colored,  as  overseer  of  the  street 
hands,  and  white  men  worked  under  him. 

The  last  Democratic  board  of  New  Berne  voted  for  and  elected  to  the  Board  of 
City  Council  the  following  negroes  :  Cicero  Robbins,  V.  A.  Crawford,  and  Wm, 
James 

DEMOCRATS  APPOINT  NEGROES  AS  NOTARIES  PUBLIC. 

Douglass  Williams,  a  negro  of  Warren  county,  was  appointed  a  Notary  Public  by 
Governor  A.  M.  Scales,  February  8th,  1887.  There  is  on  record  in  that  county,  in 
Book  55,  page  348,  a  mortgage  deed  executed  by  W.  W.  Long.  The  record  shows 
that  the  ackno%vledgement  and  privy  Examination  of  the  wife  of  W.  W.  Long 
was  taken  before  Douglass  Williams  as  Notary  Public. 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  MORE  DEPUTY  SHERIFFS. 

Nathaniel  R.  Jones,  Democratic  Sheriff  of  Warren  county,  had  as  his  jailor  Geo. 
Johnson,  colored.  In  1884,  Geo.  Fitts,  Democrat,  was  elected  Sheriff  of  the  same 
county,  and  his  jailors  and.  deputy  sheriffs,  Cad  Alston  and  James  Pennington. 
J.  R.  Rodwell,  another  Democratic  Sheriff  of  the  same  county,  succeeding  Fitts, 
had  a  colored  jailor  all  the  time  named  Ferry  Johnson.  All  these  negroes  are 
Democrats. 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  NEGRO  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS. 

In  1878  the  Democratic  Board  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  of  Warren  county,  which 
had  been  elected  by  the  Democratic  Legislature,  met  to  elect  County  Commissioners 
and  elected  a  colored  man  named  William  Alexander  Boyd. 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  SCHOOL  COMMITTEEMEN  GALORE  IN  WARREN 

COUNTY. 

In  1879  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Warren  county  was  Democratic 
(having  one  colored  Republican  upon  it  who  was  elected  by  the  Democratic  Board 
of  Justices  of  the  Peace  appointed  by  the  Legislature)  viz:  B.  D.  Williams,  R.  W. 
Alston,  M.  J.  Hawkins,  (who  is  still  a  member  and  being  one  of  the  "overseer  ap- 
pointees ")  Samuel  Bobbitt  and  W.  A.  Boyd  (the  colored  member).  At  that  time 
each  school  district  had  a  board  of  three  commissioners,  and  there  were  thirty- 
school  districts  in  the  county.  On  February  3d,  of  that  year,  their  record  shows 
the  following  named  colored  men  appointed  by  the  Board  as  School  Committee- 
men, viz:  Peter  Kearney  in  No.  27,  in  place  of  Albert  Hawkins  (col.),  resigned, 
Dallas  Williams  in  No.  15,  George  Eaton  in  No.  12,  Charles  Watson  in  No.  20,  and. 
Richard  Boyd  in  No.  17  ;  the  other  two  in  each  of  the  districts  being  white  men,, 
and  Caesar  Crossman  (col. ),  was  appointed  on  a  committee  in  No.  16  to  locate  and 
condemn  a  site. 

On  August  11,  1879,  the  following  named  colored  men  were  appointed  as  school 
committeemen  in  the  school  districts,  as  named,  viz  :  No.  1,  Jack  Hicks;  No.  2, 
William  Russell;  No.  3,    W.  P.  Wright;  No.  4,  Henry  Blanche;  No.  5,  Jerre  r! 


Wright;  No.  6,  Buckner  Falkner;  No.  7,  Cyrus  Hunt;  No.  8,  James  Plummer;  No. 
9,  Armistead  Falkner;  No.  10,  John  Shearin;  No.  11,  Henry  Hardy;  No.  12,  George 
Eaton;  No.  13,  George  Vanlandingham;  No.  14,  Reuben  Hawkins;  No.  15,  Dallas 
Williams;  No.  16,  Sprigg  Brehon;  No.  17,  Richard  Boyd;  No.  18,  I,.  C.  Johnson; 
No.  19,  Cambridge  Hawkins;  No.  20,  Charles  Watson;  No.  21,  C.  C.  Christmas;  No. 
22,  H.  W.  Carter  and  Isaac  Alston;  No.  23,  Ben  Powell;  No.  24,  Alfred  Taylor;  No. 
25,  Ben  Cheek;  No.  26,  Joe  Southerland;  No.  27,  Gus  Falkner;  No.  28,  Corbin 
Boyd;  No.  29,  James  H.  Alston;  No.  30,  Alfred  Richardson;  the  other  members  be- 
ing white  men. 

February  2,  1880,  H.  W.  Carter  (col.)  was  appointed  a  committeeman  in  No.  22 
in  place  of  Thomas  Carter  (col.)  resigned;  May  3,  1880,  H.  H.  Plummer  (col.)  was 
appointed  on  a  committee  to  locate  site  in  NO.  16;  July  5th,  Jerre  White  (col.)  was 
appointed  committeeman  in  place  of  Haywood  Shearin,  resigned,  in  No.  5;  Novem- 
ber 2d,  James  H.  Alston  (col.)  was  appointed  in  No.  29  in  place  of  Ben  Powell,  re- 
signed. 

Now  came  a  new  board  as  follows,  viz:  W.  G.  Plummer,  Chairman;  Samuel  Bob- 
bitt,  M.  J.  Hawkins,  R.  W.  Alston,  B.  D.  Williams;  all  Democrats.  December  6, 
1881,  they  appointed  as  appears  upon  their  record,  the  following  named  colored 
men  upon  the  school  committees  of  the  county,  viz:  In  district  No.  1,  Jack  Hicks; 
No.  2,  William  Russell;  No.  3,  W.  P.  Wright;  No.  4,  Reuben  Palmer;  No.  5,  Jerre 
Wright;  No.  6,  Alex.  Wright;  No.  7,  Jas.  Somerville;  No.  8,  T.  M.  Games;  No.  9, 
Armistead  Falkner;  No.  10,  John  Shearin;  No.  11;  Henry  Hardy;  No.  12,  Alpheus 
Williams;  No.  13,  Reuben  Hawkins;  No.  14,  Dallas  Williams;  No.  15,  Sprigg  Bre- 
hon; No.  16,  Solon  Brown;  No.  17,  D.  C.  Johnson;  No.  18,  Ossian  Kearney;  No.  19, 
C.  C.  Christmas;  No.  20,  H.  W.  Carter;  No.  21,  Ben  Powell;  No.  22,  Alfred  Taylor; 
No.  23,  Phil  Townes;  No.  24,  Gus  Falkner;  No.  25,  Arthur  Williams;  No.  26,  Jas. 
H.  Alston;  No.  27,  Alfred  Richardson;  No.  28,  Silas  Millin;  No.  30,  John  Mitchell. 

Robt.  Russell  was  appointed  on  the  committee  to  locate  site  in.  No.  2.  January 
2,  1882,  Arthur  Williams  was  appointed  in  place  of  Corbin  Boyd  in  No.  25,  and 
such  has  been  the  Democratic  record  in  Warren,  while  similar  procedure  was  going 
on  elsewhere.  But  then  there  was  no  cry  of  "  nigger  "  by  the  Democratic  machine. 
Why? 

DEMOCRATS  ELECT  MORE  NEGRO  SCHOOL  COMMITTEEMEN. 

When  the  Board  of  Education  for  Warren  county  was  organized  under  the  present 
law,  there  was  a  contest  for  a  place  on  the  board  by  Rev.  T.  J.  Taylor,  minister  of 
the  white  Baptist  church  at  Warrenton.  He  was  defeated  by  Messrs.  Marmaduke 
J  Hawkins  and  Peter  Hawkins  Allen,  who  are  both  Democrats.  They  are  the  two 
"additional  commissioners"  put  on  by  Democratic  petition,  and  both  voted  for  Jno. 
P.  Williams,  a  colored  man,  against  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor,  thus  electing  Williams  a 
member  of  the  board. 

SAME  SORT  OF  THING  IN  PENDER. 

The  Board  of  Education  of  Pender  county  is  composed  of  J.  B.  Davis,  F.  P. 
Flynn  and  J.  R.  James.  They  are  Democrats,  and  they  elected  a  negro  on  every 
school  committee  in  the  county,  in  some  cases  supplanting  white  men  of  sterling 
worth  and  standing  in  their  communities. 


x9 

DEMOCRATS  KEEP  UP  THE  RACKET  IN  BLADEN. 

North  Carolina — Bladen  County. 

I,  Hays  Monroe,  colored,  a  citizen  of  Bladen  county,  do  hereby  certify  that  dur- 
ing the  year  1886  I  acted  as  jailor  for  L.  J.  Hall,  Democratic  Sheriff  of  Bladen. 
That  L  J-  Hall,  Sheriff,  had  as  his  jailor,  before  he  employed  me,  one  Robert 
McDowell,  who  was  also  a  colored  man  and  who  remained  with  him  until  his 
death.  That  during  the  time  the  said  late  McDowell  was  jailor  and  deputy  sheriff 
there  were  several  white  prisoners,  among  whom  was  one  Mr.  Swain,  from  Bruns- 
wick county.  That  after  said  Hall's  time  expired  as  Sheriff,  I  remained  jailor  for 
Sheriff  W.  S.  Clark,  a  Democrat,  and  that  during  my  stay  with  Sheriff  Hall  and 
Sheriff  Clark,  I  had  full  control  of  all  prisoners  both  white  and  black,  a  few  of 
whose  names  I  can  now  call  to  memory.  Among  the  whites,  viz.:  J.  J.  E.  Lucas, 
Benjamin  Thompson,  Charles  Jordan,  Charles  Chancey,  Joseph  Merritt,  Owen 
Register,  Oliver  Sutton,  a  man  Webb  whose  given  name  I  do  not  now  recall  ;  Bill 
Davis,  John  Hart,  Frank  Mears,  John  M.  Benson,  M.  R.  Hester,  and  many  others, 
whose  names  I  cannot  now  recall.  The  names  of  the  Sheriffs  and  their  postoffice, 
are  as  follows,  viz  :     L.  J.  Hall,  Elizabethtown  ;  W.  S.  Clark,  White  Hall. 

HAYS  MONROE. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  September  1st,  1898. 

W.  J.  SUTTON,  C.  S.  C.  Bladen  County. 

DEMOCRATS  APPOINT  MORE  MAGISTRATES. 

North  Carolina — Bladen  County. 

I,  J.  M.  Bryan,  a  citizen  of  Bladen  county,  N.  C,  do  say  that  Enoch  W.  Easters, 
a  colored  Republican  politician,  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  the  county 
and  State  aforesaid,  in  the  year  1877,  and  that  I  heard  John  H.  Clark,  Esquire,  the 
Democratic  Representative  from  said  county  at  that  time,  say  that  he  had  nim,  the 
said  Easters,  appointed.  J.  M.  BRYAN. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  September  2,  1S98. 

W.  J.  Sutton,  C.  S.  C. 

NEGRO  POSTMASTER  AT  FAYETTEVILLE  UNDER  DEMOCRATS. 

It  is  well  known  and  remembered  that  during  all  of  the  Cleveland  Democratic 
administration,  there  was  a  negro  postmaster  at  Fayetteville,  one  of  the  most 
important  offices  in  the  State. 

COLORED  POSTMISTRESS  BONDED  BY  A  DEMOCRAT. 

The  postoffice  at  Areola,  Warren  county,  is  now  held  by  a  colored  girl,  and  she  is 
bonded  by  Geo.  W.  Davis,  a  white  man  and  uncompromising  Democrat. 

THE  "BOSS  WHITE  LEAGUER'S"  ROSY  LETTER  TO  A  NEGRO. 

Mr.  Francis  D.  Winston  is  now  a  member  of  the  Democratic  machine,  and  the 
machine  has  put  him  in  the  ring  as  the  "Boss"  organizer  of  what  it  calls  the 
White  League.  Geo.  H.  White  is  now  a  negro  Congressman  and  the  machine  is 
circulating  his  picture  far  and  wide  over  the  State. 

Here  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  written  by  "  Boss  White  Leaguer  "  Winston  to  Negro 
Congressman  White : . 

Windsor,  N.  C,  June,  1890. 
Hon.  Geo.  H.  White,  Rocky  Mount,  JV.  C.  : 

My  Dear  Sir: — I  regret  that  I  can  not  attend  the  Judicial 


20 

Convention  on  account  of  pressing  engagements.  Please  put  in 
a  word  to  secure  my  nomination  for  Judge.  While  there  is  not 
much  hope  for  an  election,  still  the  remote  -possibility  of  riding 
the  District  with  you  is  a  great  pleasure.  Wishing  you  success, 
I  am  yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  Francis  D.  Winston. 

When  this  letter  was  written  Winston  was  a  candidate  for  Judge  and  was  nomi- 
nated, and  White  was  nominated  for  Solicitor  by  the  same  convention. 

It  is  useless  and  unnecessary  to  extend  this  list.  Similar  cases  could  be  given  in 
such  numbers  as  to  fill  an  entire  pamphlet  of  this  size. 

And  now  note  carefully  : 

While  all  this  is  going  on  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "nigger,"  with 
the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  SEE? 


21 


CHAPTER  TWO. 


LAWYERS    LIVED   AT   THE   TREASURY    TROUGH     WHEN 
DEMOCRATS  WERE  IN. 

NEARLY  FIFTY  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  FOR  LEGAL  ADVICE  TO  THREE 
DEMOCRATIC  ATTORNEY-GENERALS. 

Among  the  "  issues  "  which  Democratic  machine  journalism  has  tried  to  raise 
during  the  past  two  years  is  one  about  the  payment  of  fees  to  attorneys  who  have 
been  employed  by  the  Governor  to  represent  the  State  in  certain  cases.  Of  course 
it  is  clear  that  nearly  all  the  services  rendered  to  the  present  State  administration, 
by  attorneys,  have  been  in  connection  with  the  effort  of  the  administration  to  com- 
pel foreign  corporations  doing  business  in  the  State  to  become  amenable  to 
State  laws,  to  modify  or  nullify  the  terms  of  the  "  fraudulent  99-year  lease,"  and 
to  prevent  exorbitant  charges  and  extortion  by  railroad  combines  and  monopolies. 
There  has  been  nothing  else,  of  consequence,  before  the  present  administration 
that  required  legal  advice  and  counsel  to  any  great  extent. 

The  employment  of  counsel  in  these  cases  has  been  made  the  ' '  basis  "  of  a  great 
cry  by  the  Democratic  machine  journalism,  of  extravagance — of  spending  the  peo- 
ple's money  in  employing  "rabbit  hunting  "  lawyers— and  all  other  kinds  of  spite- 
ful and  false  comment  in  an  effort  to  make  political  capital  out  of  paying  attorneys 
for  services,  &c. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  Democratic  machine  journalism  doesn't  care  about  the 
expense  in  these  matters.  It  is  mad  because  something  like  a  genuine,  honest 
fight  is  being  made  by  Governor  Russell  against  that  big  fraud — viz:  "  the  Demo- 
cratic 99-year  lease, "  and  unjust  charges  by  foreign  railroad  combines  and  other 
corporations.  The  Democratic  press  is  the  servant  of  these  combines,  and  a  part 
of  its  business  and  service  is  to  fight  and  denounce  any  man  or  men  who  oppose 
the  encroachments  and  oppression  of  said  combines  and  corporations. 

Let  this  matter  be  made  clear.  It  is  stated  above  that  the  Democratic  machine 
journalism  does  not  care  anything  about  the  "  expense  "  of  employing  attorneys. 
If  it  did  care  for  the  expense — for  the  squandering  of  the  people's  money,  as  it  is 
pleased  to  term  it — it  would  not  confine  its  comment  to  what  is  being  done  now. 
If  it  had  the  least  shade  of  honesty  in  the  matter  it  would  discuss  the  expense  of 
' '  extra  counsel ' '  heretofore  made  in  cases  not  half  so  important  to  the  people  as 
those  cases  now  pending. 

Did  you  ever  see  or  hear  of  a  Democratic  machine  paper  making  any  criticism  of 
any  fee  heretofore  paid  to  attorneys  and  lawyers  ?  Did  any  one  of  them  ever  tell 
how  much  was  being  paid  out  by  the  Democratic  administrations  for  extra  legal 
counsel?    No.     They  are  too  sneaky  and  cowardly  for  that. 

Well,  since  they  have  raised  the  issue  it  is  time  that  the  people  know  something 
of  the  previous  extravagance,,  squandering,  &c,  and  below  is  given  a  partial  re- 
cord of  how  the  public  money  has  heretofore  been  given  to  lawyers  for  extra  legal 
counsel.  There  is  not  space  to  enumerate  the  services  for  which  this  money  was 
paid,  bnt  anybody  who  will  make  a  full  investigation  can  easily  think  that  some 
pretty  heavy  fees  have  been  paid  for  some  very  trival  services. 

But  here  are  the  figures  : 


$          45Q 

00 

IOO 

00 

IOO 

00 

1,500 

00 

500 

00 

250 

00 

200 

00 

50 

00 

22 

EXTRA  LEGAL  SERVICES  TO  THE  ATTORNEY-GENERALS. 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  September  30,  1877. 
1877. 
Jan.         Paid  to  R.  F.  Armfield   

Paid  to  John  H    Dillard 

Paid  to  W.  N.  H.  Smith 

Feb.        Paid  to  Strong  &  Smith 

July.       Paid  to  D.  G.  Fowle ' 

Paid  to  John  Gatling 

Paid  to  A.  C.  Avery 

Paid  to  Thos.  Ruffin 

Amount  for  1877 $       3, 150  00 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  September  30,  1878. 
1877. 

Dec.        Paid  D.  G.  Fowle •■•••$  500  00 

1878. 

Jan.         Paid  to  J.  M.  McCorkle 50  00 

Paid  to  J.  M.  Leach 250  00 

Paid  to  J.  H.  Merrimon. 100  00 

Amount  for  1878 $  900  00 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  September  30,  1879. 

1879. 

Jan.         Paid  to  G.  N.  Folk  &  R.  F.  Armfield $  200  00 

Paid  to  Smith  &  Strong 200  00 

Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 250  00 

Feb.        Paid  to  Moore  &  Gatling 250  00 

April       Paid  to  T.  P.  Devereux 250  00 

Paid  to  Gilliam  &  Gatling 500  00 

Paid  to  A.  M.  Lewis 250  00 

Paid  to  Thos.  P.  Devereux 250  00 

June        Paid  to  Thos.  P. 'Devereux ' 100  00 

Paid  to  E.  W.  Thompson   50  00 

July         Paid  to  Thos.  P.  Devereux 150  00 

Aug.        Paid  to  Thos.  P.  Devereux 60  00 

Amount  for  1879 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  September  30,  1880. 
1879. 

Oct.         Paid  to  Thos.  P.  Devereux 

Paid  to  Gilliam  &  Gatling 

Dec.        Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 

Paid  to  W.  S.  Mason 

1880. 

Aug.       Paid  to  W.  W.  Peebles 

Paid  to  D  G  Fowle 

Amount  for  1880 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  September  30,  1881. 
1880. 

Nov.       Paid  to  A.  M.  Lewis 

Paid  to  Mason  &  Devereux 

Paid  to  R.  T.  Merrick 

Dec.        Paid  to  A.  M.  Lewis 

1881. 

Jan.         Paid  to  Thos.  Ruffin 

Paid  to  Thomas  N.  Hill 

Amount  for  1881 ,$       1,325  00 


I 

2,510  00 

$ 

IOO  00 

500  00 

30  00 

150  CO 

75  00 

250  00 

$ 

1,105  °° 

$ 

250  00 

150  00 

500  00 

IOO  00 

IOO  00 

75  00 

250  oo 

500  00 

300  OO 

200  00 

500  00 

400  00 

$ 

2,400  00 

$ 

200  00 

250  00 

23 

Fiscae  Year  Ending  September  30,  1882. 

1S81. 

Oft.  Paid  to  R.  S.  Davis $  250  00 

1882. 

Jan.  Paid  to  John  W.  Graham 

Feb.  Paid  to  Merrimon  &  Fuller 

Mar.  Paid  to  Daniel  G.  Fowle 

April  Paid  to  J.  H.  Dillard      

May  Paid  to  John  W  Graham 

Aug.  Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 

Amount  for  1882 

Fiscae  Year  Ending  September  30,  1883. 
1882. 

Dec.         Paid  to  Dillard  &  Mordecai $ 

1883. 

Nov.        Paid  to  Thos.  Ruffin 

Amount  for  1883 $  450  00 

Fiscai,  Year  Ending  November  30,  1884. 
1SS4. 

June        Paid  to  W.  S.  Mason $  300  00 

Paid  to  Thos.  Ruffin 250  00 

Nov.        Paid  to  Pace  &  Holding. 150  00 

Amount  for  1884 $  700  00 

Fiscae  Year  Ending  November  30,  1885. 

June        Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai $  500  00 

Paid  to  Graham  &  Ruffin 500  00 

Aug.        Paid  to  W.  A.  Gash 100  00 

1  Amount  for  1885 s 

Fiscae  Year  Ending  November  30,  1886. 

Feb.        Paid  to  John  Gatling   ...    

Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 

May         Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 

Paid  to  Graham  &  Ruffin   

June        Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 

Oct.         Paid  to  Reade,  Busbee  &  Busbee 

Amount  for  1886 

Fiscae  Year  Ending  November  30,  1887. 
1886. 
Dec.        Paid  to  Ruffin  &  Graham   

Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 

1887. 

Mar.        Paid  to  C.  M.  Busbee 

June        Paid  to  R.  Z.  Dinney 

July        Paid  to  E.  F.  Lovill 

Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai  , 

Paid  to  Battle  &  Ruffin 

Aug.        Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 

Paid  to  Batchelor  &  Devereux 

Paid  to  Batchelor  &  Devereux 

Paid  to  R.  F.  Armfield 

Oct.         Paid  to  C.  M.  Cooke 

Amount  for  1887 $       2,096  10 


.* 

1,100  00 

.* 

100  00 

150  00 
300  00 

300  00 

500  00 

100  00 

■$ 

1,450  CO 

$ 

500  00 

500  00 

120  00 

25  00 

25  00 

200  00 

200  00 

222  80 

228  30 
30  OO 
25  OO 
20  OO 

24 


1 887. 
Dec. 

1888. 
Mar. 

June 
Aug. 


1888. 
Dec. 

1889. 
April 

Oct. 
Nov. 


I8» 
Dec. 


189c 
Mar. 


April 

J«iy 

Aug. 
Oct. 

Nov. 


1890. 
Dec. 

1891. 
Mar. 

Apr. 
Tune 
July 
Aug. 


Sept. 

Oct. 
Nov. 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1888. 


Paid  to  Howard  &  Martin  .... 
Paid  to  Batchelor  &  Devereux 


Paid  to  Graham  &  Ruffin   .  . 
Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai .  . 

Paid  to  C.  M.Busbee 

Paid  to  R.  H.  Battle 

Amount  for  188S. 


$        50 

00 

25 

00 

100 

00 

100 

00 

200 

00 

25 

00 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1889. 


Paid  to  C.  H.  Armfield.  . . . 
Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai. 


Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 

Paid  to  W.  A.  Dunn ! 

Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 

Paid  to  R.  H.  Battle .'..,. 

Paid  to  Reade,  Busbee  &  Busbee. 
Paid  to  Batchelor  &  Devereux 

Amount  for  1889 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1890. 


Paid  to  Spier  Whitaker .  .  . 
Paid  to  Armfield  &  Turner. 
Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan   


Paid  to 
P&id  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 
Paid  to 


F.  H.  Busbee   

F.  H.  Busbee. 

S.  G.  Ryan 

Battle  &  Mordecai  .  .  . 

Graham  &  Ruffin 

S.  G.  Ryan 

Batchelor  &  Devereux 

Fuller  &  Snow 

Battle  &  Mordecai .... 
Armfield  &  Turner.    .  . 

Fuller  &  Snow 

N.  J.  Rouse 

Batchelor  &  Devereux . 


Amount  for  1890. 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1891. 


Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai. 


Paid  to  R.  T.  Gray 

Paid  to  Thos.  H.  Sutton 

Paid  to  F.  H,  Busbee 

Paid  to  Batchelor  &  Devereux. 
Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai.  . . 

Paid  to  A.  M.  Waddell  

Paid  to  John  Devereux    

Paid  to  Armistead  Jones 

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan 

Paid  to  A.  M.  Waddell 

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan 

Paid  to  Geo.  V.  Strong 

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan 

Amount  for  1891 . . . 


500  00 


1        50 

00 

50 

00 

35 

00 

50 

00 

20 

00 

281 

00 

400 

00 

100 

00 

986  00 


1    200 

00 

100 

00 

100 

00 

10 

00 

'5 

00 

150 

00 

2,CK  O 

00 

2,000 

00 

57 

00 

35 

00 

50 

00 

101 

39 

125 

00 

215 

00 

25 

00 

100 

00 

5,283  39 


1 

100  00 

150  00 

100  00 

60  00 

100  00 

40  00 

300  00 

75  00 

25  00 

100  00 

100  00 

200  00 

61  00 

100  00 

$ 

1,711  00 

25 


1891. 

Dec. 

1892. 
Jan. 


Feb. 
Mar. 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1892. 
Paid  to  Armfield  &  Turner 5°  °° 

Paid  to  Thomas  W.  Strange  . . 

Paid  to  John  Devereux 

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan   

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan. ." 

Paid  to  Battle  &  Devereux 

R.  0.  Burton " 

Paid  to  John  D.  Bellamy 

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan 

Paid  Batchelor  &  Devereux   

Paid  to  Armistead  Jones 

Paid  to  Busbee  &  Busbee 

Paid  to  Busbee  &  Busbee 

Amount  for  1892 $       5,945  00 


JOO 

•DO 

25 

OO 

65 

OO 

35 

OO 

50 

OO 

100 

OO 

250 

00 

150 

00 

20 

OO 

2,500 

OO 

2,500 

CO 

100 

OO 

1892. 

Dec. 

1893- 
Jan. 
May 
June 
Sept. 
Oct. 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1893 
Paid  to  A.  W.  Haywood 

Paid  to  John  H.  Small 

Paid  to  R.  O.  Burton 

Paid  to  C.  M.  Busbee 

Paid  to  S.  G.  Ryan   , 

Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 

Amount  for  1893 


$         100 

OO 

50 

00 

3.925 

02 

500 

00 

3,000 

OO 

28 

75 

$       7,603  77 


1893. 
Dec. 

1894. 
Mar. 
•  Sept. 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  li 
Paid  to  A.  W.  Haywood 

Paid  to  W.  W.  Zachary  &  J.  C.  Pritchard.   . 

Paid  to  W.  R.  Allen 

Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 

Amount  for  1894 


75  00 

50  OO 
IOO   OO 

250  OO 


475  00 


1S95. 
Jan. 
Mar. 


June 

July 
Oct. 
Nov. 


Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1895. 

Paid  to  W.  R.  Allen ' 

Paid  to  R.  O.  Burton 

Paid  S.  G.  Ryan    

Paid  to  Jos.  B.  Batchelor 

Paid  to  William  A.  Guthrie 

Paid  to  Armistead  Jones 

Paid  to  Armistead  Jones 

Paid  to  Jos.  B.  Batchelor 

Paid  to  W  A.  Guthrie 

Paid  to  W.  A.  Guthrie 

Paid  to  W.  A.  Guthrie 

Paid  to  W.  A.  Guthrie 

Amount  for  1895 


$          ^0 

963 
963 

00 
6S 
68 

50 

00 

25 

00 

50 

00 

50 

00 

50 

00 

125 

00 

150 

00 

100 

00 

75 

00 

$       2,732 

00 

26 

Fiscal  Year  Ending  November  30,  1896. 

1895. 

Dec.        Paid  to  Jas.  E.  Shepherd    $  75  00 

1896. 

Jan.         Paid  to  Jas.  E-  Shepherd ■        290  00 

Mar.        Paid  to  W.  A.  Guthrie 100  00 

April       Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai .' *  311  00 

Paid  to  Shepherd  &  Busbee 2,500  00 

Paid  to  Jas.  E.  Shepherd 75  00 

Paid  to  C.  M.  Busbee  . .    85  00 

Paid  to  Winstead  &  Brooks /  50  00 

Paid  to  W.  A.  Guthrie 100  00 

Paid  to  Osborne,  Maxwell  &  Co 50  00 

June        Paid  to  R.  L.  Bynum 25  00 

Paid  to  Battle  &  Thorn 25  00 

Paid  to  Battle  &  Mordecai 90  55 

Paid  to  Shepherd  &  Busbee 25  00 

Sept.       Paid  to  W.  R.  Allen 100  00 

Paid  to  F.  H.  Busbee 250  00 

Nov.        Paid  to  R.  P.  Buxtou 25  00 


Amount  for  1896 $       4,041  00 


Grand  total $     45, 138'  26 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  above  figures  do  not  include  AEE  the  money 
paid  out  for  extra  legal  counsel,  for  it  is  easy,  in  glancing  through  a  long  series  of 
reports,  to  overlook  items.  But  it  is  certain  that  there  is  no  over- statement  of  the 
amount,  for  the  items  are  given  and  show  for  themselves.  The  figures  do  not 
include  a  number  of  items  charged  as  incidental  expenses  for  the  different  Attorney 
Generals  in  making  special  trips.  If  these  items  were  included,  together  with  such 
as  may  have  been  overlooked,  the  grand  total  would  undoubtedly  closely  approxi- 
mate $50,000. 

Now,  let  the  "  issue  "  be  continued  and  let  the  Democratic  machine  journalists 
tell  the  people,  if  they  dare,  that  it  has  been  necessary  to  pay  out  about  FIFTY 
THOUSAND  DOLLARS  for  extra  legal  counsel  for  only  THREE  Democratic 
Attorney  Generals.     Whether  necessary  or  not,  it  has  been  paid  out. 

And  now  note  carefully  : 

When  this  immense  amount  of  money  was  being  distributed  among  the  ' '  faith- 
ful "  Democratic  lawyers,  the  Democratic  machine  was  squalling  "nigger,"  for 
the  purpose  of  trying  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  people  from  what  was  being 
done. 

Do  YOU  SEE? 


27 

CHAPTER  THREE. 

DEMOCRATIC  SCANDAL  IN  THE  PUBLIC  PRINTING. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  flagrantly  outrageous  and  scandalous  jobs  which  char- 
acterized the  administration  of  the  Democratic  party  in  this  State  was  in  connection 
with  the  State  Printing.  There  has  never  been  any  explicit  knowledge  or  famil- 
iarity on  the  part  of  the  public  in  connection  with  this  job,  because  it  has  always 
been  to  the  interest  of  the  Democratic  press,  as  well  as  the  part}-,  to  say  nothing 
about  it.  It  can  be  explained  in  this  way:  For  many  years  it  was  customary  for 
the  Legislature  to  elect  a  State  Printer.  The  State  Printer  was  not  a  man  supposed 
to  have  any  knowledge  of  printing,  but  was  one  who  was  rewarded  simply  and 
solely  for  party  sendee.  The  State  prescribed  a  price  for  Public  Printing  to  be 
paid  to  the  State  Printer.  The  State  Printer  always  sublet  the  work  to  some  print- 
ing house,  and  the  printing  house  would  pay  to  the  State  Printer  fifteen  per  cent, 
of  the  gross  amount  of  the  price  for  the  work  done.  All  the  State  Printer  ever  did 
in  connection  with  the  work  was  to  receipt  his  bills  and  pocket  the  fifteen  per  cent, 
bonus. 

Among  the  State  Printers  have  been  P.  M.  Hale,  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe  and  Josephus 
Daniels.  It  is  unnecessary  to  mention  the  number  of  years  during  which  this  job- 
bery prevailed,  but  it  certainly  came  in  with  the  advent  to  power  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 

Some  knowedge  of  the  scheme  can  be  had  by  reference  to  a  period  of  years. 
Take  the  period  of  time  from  1883  to  1893.  The  gross  amount  of  State  Printing  for 
thpse  years,  according  to  the  Auditors'  Reports,  was  1188,332. 47.  Fifteen  per  cent, 
of  this  amount  went  into  the  pockets  of  the  men  known  as  State  Printers,  and  this 
fifteen  per  cent,  on  the  gross  amount  just  stated  is  $28,249.87.  This  much  money 
■was  simply  looted  from  the  Treasury  and  given  to  the  favored  supporters  of  the 
Democratic  party.  These  favored  supporters  never  rendered  a  single  act  of  service 
to  the  State  in  consideration  of  this  princely  pay. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  term  "State  Printing  "  does  not  include  the  printing  done 
for  a  considerable  number  of  the  public  institutions  of  the  State.  For  instance,  the 
Agricultural  Department  has  an  immense  amount  of  printing  done  every  year,  but 
it  is  paid  for  out  of  the  special  fund  provided  for  the  support  of  the  Department, 
and  while  the  cost  of  the  printing  for  that  Department  is  shown  in  its  reports,  that 
cost  is  not  included  in  the  amount  shown  to  be  spent  for  Public  Printing  in  the 
Auditors'  Reports.  This  same  rule  applies  to  the  Insane  Asylums  of  the  State,  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb  and  Blind  Institutions  and  about  all  other  State  institutions.  The 
State  makes  annual  appropriations  for  these  institutions,  and  they  pay  for  their 
printing  out  of  their  special  appropriations.  But  the  Democratic  State  Printer 
never  failed  to  get  his  fifteen  per  cent,  on  every  job  of  work  done  for  every  public 
institution. 

It  is  not  easy  to  estimate  the  cost  of  the  printing  for  these  institutions  for  a  long 
term  of  years,  but  it  is  very  reasonable  to  say  that  it  amounted  to  $12,000  from 
1883  to  1893.  So  it  easily  appears  that  the  amount  paid  for  Public  Printing  from 
1883  to  1893,  will  equal,  if  not  exceed,  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($200,000). 
Fifteen  per  cent,  pf  this  amount  is  thirty  thousand  dollars  ($30,000),  and  this  has 
gone  into  the  pockets  of  the  great  Democratic  "  State  Printers  "  from  1883  to  1893. 


28 

The  same  rule  prevailed  from  1876  to  1883,  and  during  these  years  the  amount  of 
looting  and  boodle  must  have  equalled  what  the  Democratic  party  took  from  1883 
to  1893,  because  the  jobbery  was  worse  during  those  years  than  during  the  later 
period. 

Of  course  there  were  aspirants  at  every  session  of  the  Legislature  for  the  office  of 
Public  Printer.  The  job  was  so  easy  and  the  pay  so  munificent  that  the  struggle 
among  the  Democratic  spoilsmen  was  always  tricky,  vindictive,  fierce  and  espe- 
cially scandalous.  This  struggle  finally  reached  the  point  at  which  cowhiding, 
cane  thrashing  and  fisticuffs  in  the  Capitol  itself  occurred  among  the  candidates, 
and  the  jobbery  became  so  openly  vile  and  scandalous,  that  even  a  Democratic 
legislature  concluded  it  best  to  temporarily  eliminate  the  jobbery  feature  of  it,  and 
this  was  done  for  two  years  of  the  Democratic  adminisiration. 

For  seven  of  the  years  from  1883  to  1893,  Josephus  Daniels  was  State  Printer. 
He  was  elected  to  that  ' '  high  office  ' '  by  manipulating  a  deal  with  the  independent 
members  of  the  Legislature  of  1887,  when  John  R.  Webster  was  speaker.  The  cost 
of  Public  Printing  during  these  seven  years  amounted  to  $125,024.91.  The  work 
was  usually  done  by  printing  houses  in  Raleigh,  which  houses  turned  over  to 
Josephus  Daniels,  State  Printer,  fifteen  per  cent,  on  the  gross  amount.  Daniels' 
share  of  this  job,  therefore,  for  the  seven  years  of  his  occupancy  of  the  office,  was 
lI8>753-73-  An(i  if  to  this  be  added  the  fifteen  per  cent,  on  the  work  done  for  the 
various  public  institutions  during  that  time,  the  amount  of  boodle  pocketed  by 
him  will  easily  amount  to  twenty  thousand  dollars  ($20,000). 

For  this  snug  little  fortune,  grabbed  from  the  treasury  of  the  people  and  passed 
into  the  pockets  of  the  "  State  Printer,"  not  a  single  act  of  service  was  ever  done 
for  the  State.  This  was  his  pay  for  the  same  work  he  is  now  doing,  and  that  work, 
on  the  one  hand,  was  to  declare  to  the  public,  through  the  papers  which  he  edited, 
that  the  Democratic  party  was  honest,  while  it  was  looting  the  treasury  and  steal- 
ing the  public  fund  in  the  various  ways  illustrated  in  this  pamphlet,  and  on  the 
other  hand,  attempting  to  villify  gentlemen  of  integrity  and  character,  and  every- 
body who  ventured  to  raise  a  voice  against  the  rascality  and  scandalous  jobbery  of 
the  Democratic  machine. 

Such  facts  as  these  clearly  explain  why  the  Democratic  press  and  machine  is  so 
wildly  and  desperately  trying  to  arouse  the  prejudice  and  inflame  the  passions  of 
the  people  by  crying  "  nigger."  Of  all  the  purposes  of  this  machine,  the  greatest 
purpose  is  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  people  from  the  facts  of  a  Democratic 
record.  No  record  made  by  that  party  in  this  State  will  stand  the  clear  light  of 
•day,  or  survive  the  condemnation  of  honesty  and  reason. 

A  COMPARISON  OF  WHAT  HAS  BEEN  DONE  AND  OF  WHAT  IS 

BEING  DONE. 

The  Legislature  of  1897  provided  that  the  Public  Printing  should  be  done  under 
the  supervision  and  management  of  the  Council  of  State  of  the  present  administra- 
tion, and  the  management  of  the  printing  was  begun  by  the  Council  of  State  on 
July  1st,  1897.  The  general  result  shows  that  there  must  have  been  jobbery  in  this 
work  in  addition  to  the  bonus  paid  to  whoever  held  the  soft  chair  of  the  great  mag- 
nificent office  of  Public  Printer.  This  can  be  illustrated  by  a  comparison  of  the 
figures  for  some  previous  years. 

For  instance,  the  cost  of  Public  Printing  for  the  first  twelve  months  under  the 
management  of  the  Council  of  State,  the  period  being  from  July  1st,  1897,  to  July 


29 

ist,  1898,  was  $10,280.72.  For  the  six  years  prior,  for  the  same  months,  the  cost 
of  public  printing,  was  as  follows  : 

July  1891  to  1892 $  15, 196  68 

July  1892  to  1893 16,796  46 

July  1893  to  1894 14.509  T9 

July  1894  to  1895 19,481  52 

July  1895  to  1896 16,699  87 

July  1896  to  1897.    24,713  5S 

This  shows  that  for  six  years  past  under  Democratic  regime,  the  lowest  cost  of 
Public  Printing  for  any  one  twelve  months,  from  July  to  July,  was  $4,22847  more 
than  the  cost  has  been  for  the  first  twelve  months  under  the  supervision  of  the 
present  administration,  and  it  shows  an  average  saving  for  the  past  six  years  of 
more  than  $7,000  per  year. 

This  does  not  include  a  large  saving  made  on  the  Public  Printing  for  the  various 
State  institutions,  which  institutions  pay  for  their  printing  out  of  their  regular 
annual  appropriations. 

,  These  are  facts  and  figures  from  the  official  records — they  are  carefully  compiled 
and  cannot  be  disputed.  No  fifteen  per  cent,  bonus  has  found  its  way  to  the  pocket 
of  any  Democratic  party  heeler.  The  money  has  been  paid  for  service  rendered 
and  work  done.  •   And  now  note  carefully  : 

When  the  Democratic  machine  was  looting  the  public  treasury  as  above  shown, 
that  same  machine  was  squalling  "nigger."  And  while  the  present  anti-Demo- 
cratic administration  is  saving  the  people's  money  and  repudiating  jobbery,  as  above 
shown,  that  same  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "  nigger  !" 

Do  YOU  SEE? 


3° 

CHAPTER  FOUR. 

RECKLESSNESS,  NEGLIGENCE,  INCOMPETENCE  AND 
LOSS  IN  THE  STATE  DEPARTMENT. 

A  vivid  and  characteristic  illustration  of  trie  general  recklessness,  carelessness 
and  incompetence  of  Democratic  machine  administration  is  afforded  by  the  office 
of  Secretary  of  State  under  that  regime.  The  people  of  the  State  would  be  loth  to 
believe  a  true  description — if,  indeed,  one  could  be  given — of  the  chaos  discovered 
there  by  the  present  State  government,  and  this  even  after  some  effort  was  appar- 
ently made  to  "straighten  matters  out"  before  the  time  for  the  inauguration  of 
the  present  administration. 

When  Secretary  Thompson  went  into  the  office  he  proceeded  to  overhaul  things 
and  some  of  his  discoveries  were  simply  amazing!  He  found  letters  of  old  dates- 
several  years  back — containing  checks,  postal  notes,  postal  money  orders,  green- 
backs and  specie  stuck  away  here  and  there.  Some  of  these  letters  were  found  in 
a  great  pile  of  waste  that  had  been  carelessly  dumped  into  a  brick  building  which 
was  rented  by  the  Democratic  machine  and  called  a  "warehouse."  All  these  let- 
ters were  concerning  public  business,  and  should  have  had  prompt  attention  at  the 
time  they  were  received.  The  checks,  money,  post-office  orders  and  postal  notes 
should  have  been  promptly  accounted  for  to  the  State  Treasurer.  Secretary 
Thompson,  as  soon  as  he  could,  opened  correspondence  with  the  writers  of  these 
letters  with  a  view  to  adjusting  the  business  on  which  they  were  written.  Some  of 
the  writers  were  thus  reached,  and  the  money  or  checks  either  returned  to  them, 
or  the  business  for  which  they  were  forwarded  was  attended  to  after  a  lapse  of 
years.  In  the  old  "  warehouse  "  were  stowed  a  lot  of  book  paper,  many  volumes 
of  Supreme  Court  Reports,  Laws,  Journals,  etc,  bound  and  unbound,  and  in  the 
waste  was  found  a  tremendous  amount  of  stationery  which  might  have  been  easily 
and  advantageously  used  years  ago.  But  a  large  proportion  of  it  was  spoiled  and 
damaged  beyond  the  point  of  utility.  Some  "leaks"  in  the  "warehouse"  roof 
let  water  on  the  paper  stock,  Supreme  Court  Reports  and  other  volumes,  and  a 
large  portion  of  all  were  rotten  —not  even  salable  as  old  waste.  A  considerable 
number  of  the  ' '  stray  ' '  money-orders  and  postal  notes  were  sent  on  to  Washington 
and  redeemed  by  the  government,  and  the  amount  thus  realized  promptly  turned 
into  the  State  Treasury,  after  first  having  made  an  effort  to  find  the  parties  who 
-svrote  the  letters  enclosing  them.  Some  illustrations  of  the  foregoing  statement 
are  here  presented. 

In  June,  1891,  Mrs.  T.  C.  Green,  of  Judson,  Swain  county,  wrote  to  the  Secretary 
of  State,  inclosing  a  grant,  in  which  she  desired  a  correction  to  be  made,  and  sent 
the  money  to  pay  the  fee.  The  letter  and  money  were  laid  aside  and  entirely  for- 
gotten until  Dr.  Thompson  found  them,  where  they  had  been  placed  six  years  ago. 

Mr.  George  Holmes,  of  Bowman's  Bluff,  on  December  28,  1892,  sent  a  letter, 
with  papers  for  land  grant,  and  check  for  $  19.23;  the  grant  was  issued  in  January, 
1893,  but  the  check  had  been  pigeon-holed,  and  there  remained  until  found  by  Dr. 
Thompson,  in  the  original  envelope.  He  wrote  to  Mr.  Holmes,  and  by  his  direc- 
tion deposited  the  check  in  the  bank  for  collection  October  3,  1897. 

Mr.  Nathan  D.  Hart,  of  Bryson  City,  sent  papers  for  land  grant  in  1891,  together 
with  $6  in  money;  the  papers  were  out  of  date  and  grant  could  not  be  issued.    The 


31 

proper  thing  for  the  Secretary  of  State  at  that  time  to  have  done  was  to  notify  Mr. 
Hart  that  the  grant  could  not  be  issued  and  return  the  money,  but  instead,  it  was 
pigeon-holed,  and  six  years  after  found  by  the  present  Secretary  of  State.  He  cor- 
responded with  Mr.  D.  Hart,  and  after  proper  investigation  returned  him  the 
money  by  registered  letter. 

Mr.  Wm.  H.  Oliver,  an  insurance  agent  at  New  Berne,  in.  a  letter,  dated  April  12, 
1894,  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  State  a  check  for  $25,  in  payment  for  an  insurance 
company  license  for  three  months.  As  a  license  could  not  be  issued  for  three 
months,  the  check  should  have  been  returned  to  Mr.  Oliver,  with  information  to 
that  effect.  But  neither  was  done  until  Dr.  Thompson  found  the  check  and  letter, 
corresponded  with  Mr.  Oliver  in  regard  to  the  matter  and  then  returned  the  check 
to  him. 

Mr.  T.  S.  McClure,  of  Shooting  Creek,  Glay  county,  sent  papers  for  a  grant, 
enclosing  fifty  cents  in  silver.  The  papers  were  out  of  date  and  grant  could  not 
be  issued.  Mr.  McClure  should  have  been  notified  of  this  fact,  but  instead,  his 
letter  was  thrown  aside  with  money.  Dr.  Thompson  returned  Mr.  McClure's  money 
October  27,  1897. 

A  letter  dated  October  24,  1S94,  from  an  insurance  man  in  Virginia,  enclosing  a 
check  for  $45.00  in  payment  of  insurance  taxes,  was  received  at  the  Secretary's 
office.  Both  were  laid  aside  and  neglected  until  Dr.  Thompson  discovered  them  in 
a  pigeon  hole  of  the  Secretary's  desk.  The  check  was  considered  uncollectible. 
This  was  a  loss  to  the  State,  and  while  the  amount  in  itself  is  seemingly  small,  it 
reveals  the  carelessness  and  negligence  of  the  conduct  of  that  office. 

In  another  place  a  check  was  found  drawn  in  favor  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Ramseur,  by 
Mr.  A.  B.  Fortune,  on  the  Western  Carolina  Savings  Bank,  dated  March  19,  1889, 
and  endorsed  on  the  back  by  H.  M.  Ramseur.  This  check  had  evidently  been  sent 
in  payment  of  some  license  or  fee.  It  was  laid  aside  and  never  saw  the  light  of  day 
since  that  date  until  found  by  Dr.  Thompson.  The  check  is  now  considered  worth- 
less. 

On  January  22,  1895,  Mr.  W.  B.  Copeland,  of  Big  Oak,  Moore  county,  sent  papers 
for  land  grant  enclosing  $3.00  in  cash  to  cover  expenses  of  having  the  grant  prop- 
erly recorded.  This  letter  was  also  unearthed,  and  the  Secretary  wrote  to  Mr. 
Cope? and  for  some  information  in  regard  to  the  matter.  The  following  is  Mr. 
Copeland's  reply  : 

Big  Oak,  N.  C,  Oct.  6,  1897. 
Mr.  Cyrus  Thompson,  Secretary  of  State. 

Dear  Sir  : — In  reply  to  yours  of  the  5th  inst. ,  I  will  say  that  I  sent  those  plots 
and  $3.00  and  got  Coke's  registered  receipt  for  same  ;  that  is  the  last  I  ever  heard 
of  it  until  to-day.  I  wrote  enclosing  stamp  for  answer,  but  never  heard  anything 
from  money  or  papers.  I  would  say  to  you,  that  I  want  my  grant  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. If  there  is  anything  wrong  or  anything  lacking,  let  me  hear  at  once.  Please 
let  me  hear  from  you  as  soon  as  this  comes  to  hand,  as  I  am  anxious  to  know. 

Respectfully  yours,  W.  B.  Copei,and. 

In  May,  1895,  Mr.  Turner  Turpin,  of  Whittier,  N.  C,  mailed  a  letter  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  State  containing  some  papers  for  a  land  grant,  and  also  a  money-order  for 
$4.63,  the  necessary  fee  to  cover  the  cost.  This  letter  was  thrown  in  the  ' '  scatter  ' ' 
and  forgotten.  About  a  year  later  the  post-office  authorities  called  the  Secretary's 
attention  to  the  fact  that  an  unpaid  money-order  was  in  the  post-office,  whereupon 
the  Secretary  had  a  duplicae  money -order  issued  and  received  the  money  in  April, 
1896.  The  original  letter,  with  order,  was  found  by  Dr.  Thompson,  who  wrote  to 
the  sender,  and,  after  full  investigation,  learning  that  no  service  had  been  per- 
formed by  his  predecessor,  he  returned  the  money  to  Mr.  Turpin. 


32 

On  January,  26,  1895,  Mr.  D.  Stradley,  entry-taker  of  Henderson  county,  sent  to 
the  Secretary  of  State,  for  Mr.  J.  J.  McCall,  papers  for  grant  for  forty-four  acres  of 
land,  inclosing  a  post-office  order  for  $7.50  The  original  letter,  with  papers  and 
money-order,  were  found  in  the  general  "  scatter."  Dr.  Thompson  finally  effected 
an  adjustment  of  this  matter. 

Among  other  things  that  Dr.  Thompson  found  in  overhauling  his.  office  were 
postal  notes  to  the  amount  of  $16.86;  a  post-office  order  from  Kinston,  but  he  was 
unable  to  learn  what  this  money  was  sent  for  or  to  what  fund  it  should  be  credited. 
He  also  found  a  post-office  order  for  $3.43  from  Mr.  W.  A.  Hendricks,  of  Mocks- 
ville,  in  May,  1893.     A  duplicate  was  issued  and  paid  to  the  Secretary  of  State. 

The  above  are  a  few  samples  taken  at  random,  of  the  carelessness  with  which  the 
business  of  one  of  the  most  important  offices  of  the  State  has  been  conducted  under 
Democratic  management.  It  is  not  necessary  to  use  space  in  extending  the  illus- 
trations, though  they  are  not  wanting  in  number.  There  are  enough  to  fill  a  book. 
By  such  negligence  both  the  State  and  public  have  suffered.  But  this  is  not  all  of 
the  misdoings  under  Democratic  administration  of  the  Secretary  of  State's  office. 
The  foregoing  are  not  the  only  evidences  that  can  be  shown  of  carelessness,  irre- 
gularity and  incompetence  in  the  conduct  of  this  department  of  State  under  Dem- 
ocratic rule. 

Section  3070  of  the  Code  plainly  lays  down  a  rule  and  requirement  which  should 
always  be  observed.     That  requirement  is  as  follows  : 

"Sec.  3070.  The  Secretary  of  State  shall  furnish  to  the  Auditor,  on  the  first  of 
each  month,  a  statement  in  detail  of  the  taxes  and  license  fees  received  by  him 
under  this  chapter  during  the  previous  month,  and  shall  pay  to  the  Treasurer  the 
amount  in  full  of  such  taxes  and  license  fees." 

"Was  this  law  complied  with  under'Democratic  regime? 

The  Democratic  records  of  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  are  so  incomplete  as 
to  make  it  impossible  to  get  from  that  office  any  accurate  information  for  any  con- 
siderable length  of  time  back,  but  the  records  there,  together  with  the  records  of 
other  departments,  afford  an  illustration  of  how  loosely  the  law  was  followed  by 
Secretary  Cooke. 

Mr.  Cooke  was  inaugurated  on  September  2,  1895.  The  accounts  upon  which  he 
made  returns  into  the  Treasury  are:  '.'Fees,"  "Seal  Tax,"'  "Insurance  Tax," 
"  Insurance  license, "  "Sale  of  Daws  and  Journals,"  and  "  Sale  of  Supreme  Court 
Reports."  On  these  accounts  he  collected  and  paid  into  the  State  Treasury  as  fol- 
lows : 


33 

Feb.  29,  1896.       Collected  to  this  date $    21,643  76 

Paid  State  Treasurer  today 3,392  68 

April  29,  1896.      Leaving  in  hand $    18,251  08 

Collected  since  February  29th 28,896  69 

Making  total  amount  on  hand $    47, 147  77 

Paid  to  State  Treasurer  to-day 35,5*7  22 

July  31,  1896.        Leaving  in  Secretary's  hands $     11,630  55 

Collected  since  April  29,  1896 7,755  70 

Making  total  amount  in  hand , $     19,386  25 

Paid  Treasurer  to-day 14,200  02 

Nov.  30,  1896.       Leaving  in  Secretary's  hands $      5, 186  23 

Collected  since  July  31 7,762  69 

Making  total  in  hand $     12,948  92 

Paid  into  Treasury  to-day 10,400  83 

Feb.  12,  1897.       Leaving  in  hands  of  Secretary $      3,542  09 

Collected  since  November  30,  1896 962  27 

Making  a  total  of $      3,504  36 

Turned  over  to  successor  this  day 3,504  36 

The  Secretary  of  State  collected  on  account  of  "Redemption  of  Land  sold  for 
Taxes,"  as  follows:  November  9th,  1895,  $63.17;  August  18th,  1896,  $13.04;  Sep- 
tember 10th,  1896,  fe'10.37;  making  a  total  of  $386.58  received  on  this  account,  none 
of  which  was  turned  into  the  Treasury  until  after  the  inauguration  of  Secretary 
Thompson. 

This  shows  that  the  law  requiring  a  detailed  statement  of  receipts  on  the  first  of 
each  month  was  utterly  disregarded  by  the  former  official  (Cooke),  and  yet  his 
management  seems  to  have  been  much  better  than  that  of  preceding  officials. 
Carelessness  !  Negligence  !  !  Incompetence  !  !  !  Which  ?  No  such  irregularity 
and  confusion  is  possible  in  any  State  Department  now. 

Irregularity  may  be  further  illustrated  by  returns  made  of  sales  of  Supreme 
Court  Reports  for  a  number  of  years  back.     These  returns  show  the  following  :  " 

1890 $1,966  27 

1891 2,618  01 

1892 

1893 621  12 

1894 

1895 2,330  66 

1896 3,686  23 

1897,  by  Cooke 516  09 

1897,  by  Thompson 2,617  45 

1898,  to  July  31st 2,074  69 

All  these  figures  are  taken  from  the  books  of  the  State  Treasurer. 

Well,  what  next?  Besides  the  intelligence,  competence  and  regularity  of  the 
reports  now  made  monthly  according  to  law,  which  characterize  the  present 
administration,  it  appears,  that  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  is  turning  into 
the  State  Treasury  a  vastly  larger  reveuue  than  ever  before.  Here  are  the  officially 
reported  receipts  for  a  number  of  years  back. 


34 

1893,  Coke,  Secretary  of  State 4 $47,474  21 

1894.,  Coke,  Secretary  of  State 49,738  10 

1895,  Coke  and  Cooke,  Secretaries  of  State 48,082  60 

1896,  Cooke,  Secretary  of  State 63,548  26 

1897,  Thompson,  Secretary  of  State 9i>552  71 

Here  it  appears  that  Secretary  Thompson,  during  his  first  year  in  office,  reported 
to  the  State  Treasury  nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars  more  than  a  Democratic  regime 
ever  paid  in  in  any  one  year.  To  take  an  average  for  a  long  term  of  years,  the 
showing  for  the  Democratic  regime  is  bad — very  bad.     Here  is  the  average. 

First  period,  from  January  1,  1881,  to  Coke's  last  payment,  May  31,  1895,  just 
fourteen  years  and  five  months  : 

Total  payments 1396,474  43 

Average  per  year 27,501  16 

Average  per  month 2,291  76 

Second  period,  from  last  payment  of  Coke,  May  31,  1895,  to  the  inauguration  of 
Dr.  Thompson,  January  12,  1897,  one  year,  seven  and  two-fifth  months,  covering 
Cooke's  time. 

The  payments  were / $82,130  50 

Average  per  year 50,802  42 

Average  per  month 4.233  53 

Third  period,  from  January  12,  1897,  to  July  31,  1898,  one  year,  six  and  three-fifth 
months,  under  Thompson. 

The  amount  was $!63,356  14 

Average  per  year 105,326  40 

Average  per  month 8,777  2° 

These  figures  show  the  actual  collections  of  Secretary  Thompson,  the  amount 
turned  over  to  him  by  Secretary  Cooke  being  placed  to  Cooke's  credit. 

In  the  foregoing,  plain,  incontrovertible  facts  are  given.  Their  significance  is 
left  to  the  reflection  and  conclusion  of  the  public.  The  Democratic  machine  tries 
to  ' '  clear  things  up  "  by  claiming  a  large  increase  in  the  lines  of  business  from 
which  the  Secretary  of  State  collects  this  revenue.  It  is  perfectly  natural  that 
business  should  increase  when  the  blight  and  blast  of  a  Democratic  machine  ad- 
ministration is  lifted  from  State  and  nation,  and  if  there  has  been  such  an  increase 
of  business  in  this  State  since  that  machine  was  retired  from  the  responsibilities  of 
government,  it  is  logically  plain  that  said  machine  ought  never  to  be  allowed  to 
govern  again. 

But  ' '  increase  of  business ' '  does  not  explain  away  the  w'ild  incompetence  and 
carelessness  shown  by  the  letters  referred  to  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 

The  Secretary  of  State  kept  no  books  before  September,  1895.  There  is  no  way 
to  tell  how  much  was  collected  all  those  years. 

' '  Increase  of  business  ' '  does  not  explain  away  the  carelessness  and  negligence  in 
the  matter  of  making  monthly  reports  as  required  by  law,  as  shown  by  figures 
quoted.  It  does  not  explain  the  failure  to  pay  over  for  sale  of  Supreme  Court 
Reports  in  1892  and  1894. 

And  since  "increase  of  business"  does  not  explain  these  matters,  the  people 
can  judge  for  themselves  as  to  whether  it  explains  away  the  vast  difference  in  the 


35 

returns  made  by  the  Democratic  machine,  and  in  the  returns  made  by  the  present 
administration.      The  Progressive  Farmer  aptly  says  : 

'•The  books  in  the  State  Department  don't  show  up  whether  it  was  collected  or 
not,  and  if  collected,  whether  it  was  used  as  the  capital  stock  of  the  fine  double 
room  bar  that  was  run  in  that  end  of  the  Capitol  for  years,  or  whether  they  laid 
aside  $5,000  a  month  for  a  campaign  fund,  including  the  whiskey  with  which  they 
debauched  the  Legislatures,  or  whether  part  of  it  was  applied  to  keeping  up  a  daily 
in  the  city  of  Raleigh.  This  is  too  serious  a  matter  to  pass  over  trivially.  Some- 
thing has  evidently  gone  wrong,  and  from  what  we  have  heard  rumored,  this  thing, 
while  done  in  one  corner  of  the  Capitol,  and  so  far  as  the  people  were  concerned, 
"  in  darkness,"  yet  we  feel  sure  "  the  ring  "  understood  this  matter  all  the  time. 
Let  it  be  investigated.  Let  the  truth  be  found  if  possible.  We  mean  this.  We 
want  truth,  honesty  and  efficiency  in  our  public  servants." 

There  is  a  peculiar  and  far-reaching  significance  in  the  fact  that  while  the  Dem- 
ocratic machine  appointed  Legislative  committees  to  examine  the  books  in  the 
Auditor's  office  and  Treasurer's  office,  no  committee  -was  ever  appointed  to 
examine  the  books  in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State.  And  yet  that  office  collected 
vast  sums  of  State  revenue.  Put  this  fact  and  the  comment  of  the  Pi  ogressive 
Farmer  together,  and  see  what  they  make. 

And  now  note  carefully.  While  all  this  was  going  on,  the  Democratic  machine 
was  squalling  ' '  nigger, ' '  with  the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people 
from  it. 

Do  You  SEE  ? 


36 

CHAPTER  FIVE. 

A  FUSION  OF  THE  "  DEMOCRATIC  MACHINE  "  AND  A  RAIL- 
ROAD SYNDICATE  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF 
PILLAGE  AND  PLUNDER. 

About  the  first  of  August,  1898,  there  was  noticeable  among  the  "leaders"  and 
manipulators  of  the  Democratic,  machine,  a  sudden  exhilaration — a  smirk  of  satis- 
faction and  an  appearance  of  confidence  that  had  not  theretofore  been  visible.  Then 
began  a  whispering  which  soon  grew  into  a  bold,  brassy,  noisy  assertion  that  "the 
Democratic  party  will  sweep  the  State  in  1898."  With  a  record  of  forty  thousand 
majority  against  the  party  in  1896,  it  became  intensely  interesting  to  know  why 
this  assertion  broke  out  so  suddenly  and  apparently  with  some  confidence.  It  was 
not  long  before  the  cause  was  discovered.  When  the  Peoples  Party  State  Con- 
vention met  it  declared  against  the  encroachments  of  corporations,  monopolies 
and  railroad  combines,  and  endorsed  the  stand  taken  by  Governor  Russell  and  the 
fight  he  was  making  to  compel  arrogant  railroad  syndicates  to  become  subject  to 
the  laws  of  the  State  while  they  operated  therein. 

When  the  Republican  State  Convention  met  it  also  endorsed  Governor  Russell. 

When  the  Democratic  State  Convention  met  it  did  not  endorse  Governor  Rus- 
sell, and  it  did  not  do  much  of  anything  except  to  subject  itself  to  the  domination 
of  railroad  attorneys  and  thus  openly  expose  its  hypocrisy. 

The  utterance  and  dictum  of  a  political  convention  that  has  any  character,  fore- 
shadow the  course  to  be  pursued  by  its  adherents,  and  the  endorsement  of  Gover- 
nor Russell  by  the  Populist  Convention  and  by  the  Republican  Convention  fore- 
shadow the  fact  that  the  members  of  these  parties,  when  elected  to  office,  will  sup- 
port Governor  Russell  in  his  fight  against  the  machinations,  greed  and  pernicious 
influence  of  railroad  syndicates,  etc.  This  is  clearly  the  view  taken  by  a  great 
foreign  railroad  combine  which  does  an  immense  business  in  North  Carolina,  and 
that  same  combine  has  been  looking  around  for  some  power  or  force  which  will 
enable  it  not  only  to  hold  what  it  has,  but  to  advance  its  schemes  and  plans  for  in- 
creasing its  receipts  by  collecting  excessive  and  unreasonable  tolls  from  the 
people.  *> 

The  only  thing  in  sight  that  this  combine  thought  it  could  safely  use  for  this 
purpose  in  any  way  was  the  Democratic  machine.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  the 
Democratic  machine  did  not  endorse  Governor  Russell's  position.  It  did  not 
condemn  "  midnight  99-year  leases."  It  did  not  endorse  Railroad  Commissioner 
Pearson,  although  he  is  a  Democrat,  for  firmly  standing  for  a  reduction  of  railroad 
rates  and  insisting  that  all  railroads  should  be  taxed  according  to  their  earning 
capacity ;  and  the  logical  result  of  such  a  condition  was  a  quiet  fusion  of  this 
mighty  syndicate  and  the  Democratic  machine,  the  only  evidence  of  which  was 
the  "  sudden  exhilaration — the  smirk  of  satisfaction  and  appearance  of  confidence  " 
mentioned  above.  ^ 

It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  this  railroad  syndicate  is  a  mighty  power  in  politics. 
It  has  been  clearly  proven  that  it  gave,  under  another  name,  in  one  donation,  the 
sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars  to  help  manipulate  Democratic  politics  in  the  State 
of  Virginia,  and  when  the  Democratic  machine  of  this  State  came  to  an  under- 
standing with  it  some  weeks  ago,  that  machine  immediately  concluded  that  it  had 


37 

formed  a  league  with  a  power  that  is  all-powerful  and  irfesistible.  Hence  the 
noisy  assertion  that  "  the  Democrats  will  sweep  the  State  in  1898." 

By  reason  of  recent  records,  such  a  fusion  as  is  above  named  is  a  natural  se- 
quence and  is  quite  logical. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Democratic  machine  never  enforced  the  law 
regulating  railroad  rates  and  free  passes.  Rates  were  just  as  the  railroads  made 
them  and  practically  the  entire  Democratic  machine  rode  on  free  passes. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Democratic  machine  effected  the  "  midnight  99- 
year  lease  "  for  the  syndicate,  against  open  and  vigorous  protests  of  the  people. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  when  a  bill  was  before  the  Legislature  of  1897,  re- 
quiring foreign  corporations  to  take  out  license  to  do  business  in  this  State,  every 
Democrat  in  the  Senate  and  all  Democrats  in  the  House,  except  five,  voted  against 
the  bill  and  defeated  it. 

This  action  is  positive  evidence  that  the  Democratic  machine  is  the  close 
friend  and  co-partner  of  foreign  corporations  and  especially  of  this  particular  for- 
eign railroad  syndicate ;  that  the  machine  is  willing  to  aid  and  abet  this  syndicate 
in  its  career  of  excessive  charges,  manipulation  by  injunctions,  corruption  by  free 
passes,  etc.,  etc.  The  Democratic  machine  party  voted  more  solidly  in  support 
of  the  schemes  of  the  railroad  syndicate  than  any  other  party,  and  hence  the  fusion 
of  these  two  agencies  for  future  mutual  interests  and  purposes.  The  ballots  to  be 
cast  by  the  people  in  November,  189S,  will  decide  whether  or  not  such  fusion  as 
this  can  successfully  fuse  in  this  State. 

'  The  character  of  the  Democratic  machine,  as  exemplified  by  the  vote  of  its 
members  in  the  Legislature  of  1897,  and  by  its  Railroad  Lawyer  Convention  of 
June  25,  1898,  shows  that  its  natural  tendency  is  to  fuse  with  the  railroad  syndi- 
cate, and  one  act  alone  of  the  machine  ought  to,  and  perhaps  will,  make  the  syn- 
cate  always  ready  and  willing  to  fuse  with  that  machine.  That  one  act  is  the  exe- 
cution of  the  "  midnight  99-year  lease."  It  is  difficult  to  fully  comprehend  the  far 
reaching  consequences  and  results'  of  that  one  act.  Let  us  present  here,  for  ready 
reference,  some  figures  that  have  already  been  made  public. 

The  stock  of  the  North  Carnlina  Railroad  amounts  to  four  million  dollars 
($4,000,000).  About  three-fourths  of  this  stock  is  owned  by  the  State.  The  terms 
of  the  "  midnight  99-year  lease "  turn  this  road  over  to  the  Southern  Railway 
Company — a  foreign  syndicate — for  99  years. 

The  Southern  Railway  Company  reported  for  the  year  1S97  the  following  earn- 
ings from  the  North  Carolina  Railroad  : 

Gross  earnings  from  operation $1,592,217  93 

Less  operating  expenses 1,148,772  59 

Income  from  operation '.  $  443,445  34 

Deductions  from  income — 

Rents  paid  for  lease  of  road $    266,000  00 

Taxes = 24,820  16 

Total  deductions  from  income 290,820  16 

Net  income $    152,625  18 

Now  examine  these  figures.  To  begin  with,  :<  operating  expenses  "  are  first  de- 
ducted from  the  entire  amount  of  earnings.  These  operating  expenses  include 
the  proportionate  part  of  the  big  salaries  paid  to  all  railroad  officials,  so  the  first 


38 

item  the  big  railroad  'syndicate  gets  out  of  this  deal  is  big  salaries  for  themselves 
.and  all  salaries  paid  to  employees.  This  leaves  over  $443,000  of  profits  to  be  di- 
vided up  in  some  way.  The  next  item  the  railroad  syndicate  gets  by  this  deal  is 
what  it  calls  the  "  rent "  or  "  lease  "  money,  but  which  is  really  six  and  one-half  per 
cent,  on  the  capital  stock  of  the  road,  amounting  to  $266,000.  (It  will  be  $28^,003 
in  1902).  Now  does  it  not  seem  that  big  salaries  and  six  and  one-half  per  cent, 
profit  on  the  investment  combined  ought  to  satisfy  any  reasonable  public  business 
concern?     But  does  it?    Let's  see! 

The  next  item  the  railroad  syndicate  gains  by  this  deal  is  the  taxes  on  the  roadv 
and  then  there  plainly  appears  to  be  an  arrangement  by  which  big  salaries,  free 
rent  and  free  taxes  are  all  gained  by  the  big  railroad  syndicate  in  the  great  "  mid- 
night 99-year  lease."  There  are  but  few  concerns  on  this  earth  that  can  make 
bargains  and  deals  by  which  they  can  get  the  use  of  valuable  property  free,  and 
get  big  salaries  for  using  it  besides.  But  that  is  what  has  been  accomplished  by 
the  Democratic  machine  and  the  railroad  syndicate.     Is  this  all?     Let's  see! 

Besides  th.e  free  rent,  the  free  taxes  and  the  big  salaries,  this  railroad  syndicate 
gained  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  cool  net  cash  for  the  year  1897 
according  to  its  own  report;  and  it  thus  clearly  appears  that  the  Southern  Rail- 
way is  charging  and  collecting  tolls  from  the  people  heavy  enough  to  pay  big  sal- 
aries, all  rents,  all  taxes  and  then  have  more  than  $150,000  to  divide  up  among  the 
Rosthchilds,  Pierpont  Morgan,  campaign  funds,  etc.  All  this  ii  to  go  on  for  99 
years!  Population  will  increase,  business  enterprises  will  multiply  along  the 
road,  passenger  travel  and  freight  shipments  will  be  greatly  augmented  during 
this  period  of  three  generations,  and  there  is  no  estimating  what  the  earnings  of 
this  road  may  be  before  the  expiration  of  99  years.  But  if  there  should  be  no  in- 
crease at  all,  the  final  result  will  be  that  the  syndicate  will  rake  in  from  the  people 
the  stupendous  sum  of  about  Fifteen  million  dollars,  besides  big  salaries, 
rents  and  taxes. 

And  this  is  what  the  Democratic  machine  says  is  right.  It  said  so  when  it 
made  the  "  midnight  99-year  lease."  It  said  so  when  it  voted  almost  solidly  in 
the  Legislature  of  1897  to  prevent  any  interference  with  this  "  lease."  It  said  so 
by  assembling  ■"  The  Great  Railroad  Lawyer  Convention"  in  Raleigh  on  June 
25,  1898.  It  says  so  now  when  it  makes  a  fusion  with  this  big  syndicate  for  the 
purpose  of  further  pillaging  and  plundering  the  people. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  all  this  was  being  done  and  is  now  going  on,  the  Democratic  machine  is 
crying  "  nigger  "  with  the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  you  SEE? 


39 

CHAPTER  SIX. 

THE  PENITENTIARY— A  RECORD  OF  EXTRAVIGANCE,  IN. 

COMPETENCE  AND  BARBARITY  WITHOUT  A 

PARALLEL  IN   PRISON  MANAGEMENT. 

Perhaps  the  object  of  the  most  unanimous  attack  and  the  subject  of  the  greatest 
number  of  lies  by  the  Democratic  machine  press,  during  the  last  sixteen  months, 
has  been  the  State  Penitentiary.  That  institution  affords  the  wildest  illustrations 
of  the  extravagance,  corruptness,  incompetence  and  barbarity  of  the  Democratic 
machine,  and  that  machine  dreads  the  exposure,  which  will  be  made  here  more, 
perhaps,  than  anything  else.  Democratic  machine  managers  have  always  known 
that  the  management  of  the  Penitentiary  under  their  regime  has  been  persistently 
disgraceful,  scandalous  and  outrageous,  but  it  was  careful  to  suppress  the  truth 
about  it.  When  the  management  went  into  the  hands  of  the  present  administra- 
tion the  Democratic  machine  kn?w  that  if  conditions  should  remain  only  half 
as  bad  as  they  had  ahvays  been,  and  such  conditions  could  be  exposed,  great  cam- 
paign thunder  could  be  created  therefrom. 

The  fusilade  began  when  there  was  a  scandal  in  which  Dr.  Kirby  Smith  figured. 
Now,  Kirby  Smith  was  a  Democrat.  He  had  never  been  anything  else.  He  was 
appointed  to  the  position  he  held  by  Dr.  J.  L.  Kirby,  another  Democrat  who  has 
medical  charge  of  the  Department  of  Criminal  Insane  at  the  Penitentiary,  and  the 
result  is  that  the  anti-Democratic  administration  has  learned  a  severe  lesson  on 
the  utter  folly  and  foolishness  of  permitting  the  appointment  of  Democrats  to  any 
position.  This  lesson  will  not  have  to  be  learned  twice.  From  then  on  the 
Democratic  machine  kept  up  its  fusilade  of  distortion  and  misrepresentation,  hop- 
ing thereby  to  draw  attention  from  its  old  regime. 

From  1876  to  1896 — twenty  years — the  Democratic  machine  controlled  this  in- 
siitution.  During  that  time  there  wa«  appropriated  for  it  two  million  six  hund- 
red and  fifty-seven  thousand  dollars  ($2, 657, 000).  The  earnings  of  the  Peniten- 
tiary during  that  time  have  amounted  to  $1,140,000.  These  figures  show  that 
there  has  been  a  net  outlay  of  money  for  the  support  of  the  Penitentiary  during 
the  past  twenty  years  of  $1, 516, 000,  an  average  net  expense  of  more  than  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars  ($75,000)  per  year.  If  these  figures  are  incorrect  it  is  be- 
cause the  Democratic  machine  reports  for  all  these  years  are  incorrect,  for  the 
figures  are  taken  from  these  reports.  In  the  face  of  this  official  record  of  actual 
expenditures,  the  Democratic  machine  press  has  been  making,  in  one  way  or  an- 
other, some  sort  of  claim  that  the  Penitentiary  was  self  sustaining  ever  since  1888, 
and  this  was  kept  up  even  during  the  year  1897  until  the  last  Democratic  Super- 
intendent wrote  a  public  letter  in  which  he  said,  in  effect,  that  no  such  claim 
could  be  justly  made.  The  sum  of  $14,158.71  was  appropriated  by  the  Legislature 
of  1895  to  pay  the  debt  of  the  Penitentiary  for  the  year  1894.  (See  Chapter  408, 
Laws  1895.)  In  addition  to  this  the  sum  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  was  ap- 
propriated for  the  year  1895,  and  a  contingent  fund  of  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars for  the  year  1896.  (See  chapter  above  quoted.)  And  in  addition  to  all  this 
the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  for  the  years  1895  and  1896. 
(See  Chapter  275,  Laws  1895).  All  this  money  may  not  have  been  drawn  from 
the  State  Treasury,  but  the  appropriations  were  made  when  the  Democratic  ma- 
chine was  in  control,  and  on  the  plea  of  the  machine  that  the  Penitentiary  could 


4° 

not  be  sustained  if  they  were  not  made,  and  prove  that  the  machine  did  not  think 
the  institution  was  self-sustaining,  or  could  be  made  so.  Yet  in  the  face  of  this 
fact  some  Democratic  machine  papers  declared  in  1897  that  "  the  Penitentiary  has 
been  so  long  self-sustaining,"  etc.  This  declaration  was  in  connection  with  some 
other  statement  in  which  an  effort  was  made  to  show  that  the  thing  was  sinking, 
under  the  present  administration,  thousands  of  dollars  and  going  to  eternal  smash. 
The  truth  is  that  the  Legislature  of  I897  did  not  appropriate  a  cent  for  the  Peni- 
tentiary, and  it  was  perhaps  the  first  Legislature  that  ever  met  since  the  institu- 
tion was  established  without  making  such  an  appropriation.  Still  the  Peniten- 
tiary is  in  existence,  and  is  being  ably  and  efficiently  conducted,  and  is  in  better 
shape  and  condition  physically,  morally  and  financially  than  it  has  ever  been. 

The  Penitentiary  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  Democratic  machine  April  1, 
I897,  and  Capt.  John  R.  Smith  became  Superintendent,  and  at  that  time  the  con- 
ditions were  simply  disgraceful. 

The  Legislature  of  1897  had  made  no  appropriation  for  the  Penitentiary,  and 
with  only  $1,783.10  in  the  Treasury  and  $127.72  in  the  drawer,  and  as  shown  by 
Mr.  Leazer's  report  on  pages  22  and  89  for  the  year  1896,  his  figures,  the  Peniten- 
tiary started  the  first  of  January  with  $20,061.27  less  in  farm  products  on  hand 
than  the  Penitentiary  started  with  the  first  of  January,  1896.  In  his  estimate  of 
farm  products  on  hand  the  first  of  January,  1897,  Mr.  Leazer  puts  the  total  value 
of  the  cotton  on  hand,  as  a  part  of  the  farm  products,  at  $77,111,  when  in  fact  the 
cotton  actually  sold  for  $71,533.16.  He  deducts  $29,000  from  the  $77,111,  the 
amount  drawn  on  the  cotton,  and  thus  the  Penitentiary  was  charged  with  having 
on  hand  in  cotton  the  first  of  January,  1897,  $48,000.  On  January  5th  Mr.  Leazer 
drew  $8,000  more  on  the  cotton,' leaving  cotton  on  hand  and  charged  to  the  Peni- 
tentiary at  a  valuation  of  $40,111,  when,  in  fact,  the  cotton  remaining  on  hand  when 
sold  only  brought  $36,533.16.  The  total  amount  of  the  cotton  sold  by  Capt.  Smith 
brought  only  $20  558  38,  Mr.  Leazer  having  drawn  out  before  the  first  of  April 
$50,426.68. 

These  figures  show  that  on  the  first  of  April,  1897,  there  was  only  $20,558.38  in 
cotton  on  hand,  and  in  the  Treasury  $1  783.10,  and  in  the  drawer  $127.72.  Total 
with  which  to  start  business  the  first  of  April.  $22,469.16.  The  amount  expended 
for  horses  and  in  paying  the  bills  of  Mr.  Leazer  more  than  consumed  the  cotton 
on  hand  and  the  cash  turned  over  to  Capt.  Smith. 

On  all  the  farms  there  were  a  number  of  worn  out  horses  and  mules,  some  o* 
them  badly  crippled  and  useles=,  although  they  had  been  valued  on  the  first  of 
January,  1897,  from  $75  to  $100  per  head.  They  were  condemned  as  useless  by 
Leazer's  Supervisors  who  were  in  charge  at  the  time  Smith  took  control.  Seven- 
teen of  those  that  could  be  moved  were  sent  to  Castle  Hayne  and  a  partial  crop 
made  with  them.  After  the  crops  were  made  the  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee ordered  them  sold,  and  if  no  one  would  have  them,  to  kill  them.  They 
were  sold  to  Mr.  D.  A.  Grantham  at  a  nominal  price. 

There  were  a  number  of  others  so  worthless  that  the  Supervisors  were  directed 
to  get  rid  of  them  to  the  best  advantage.  Three  old  mules  were  traded  by  one  of 
the  Supervisors  for  one  horse ;  one  at  Anson  for  a  cow ;  one  at  Halifax  was  such  a 
mass  of  sores  that  he  could  not  be  sold,  and  was  given  away  to  avoid  having  him 
killed.  At  the  Halifax  farm  there  was  a  thirty-horse  power  engine  and  saw  mill 
in  almost  a  worthless  condition.  A  large  per  cent,  of  all  the  tools  and  farming 
implements  were  broken  and  useless,  and  badly  scattered  over  the  farms.  Few 
wagons  were  in  fairly  good  condition,  and  most  of  the  machinery  was  in  like  bad 
order.     The  cotton  gins  were  so  out  of  repair  that  new  gins  had  to  be  supplied. 


4i 

There  was  scarcely  a  week's  supply  of  provisions  on  hand  anywhere,  and  on 
some  of  the  farms  no  corn  and  fodder  or  other  forage. 

(This  statement  corresponds  with  the  report  made  by  Mr.  Leazer  in  January, 
1897,  in  which  he  says,  ''The  corn  saved  will  be  sufficient  till'  Spring.") 

In  the  face  of  such  a  situation  as  this,  Mr.  Leazer,  who  knew  he  would  not  long 
remain  Superintendent  of  the  Penitentiary,  walked  around  the  Legislative  halls, 
claiming  that  no  appropriation  was  necessary  for  1S97.  Yet  the  records  show 
that  in  1S95  Mr.  Leazer  asked  for  $50,000,  and  obtained  an  appropriation  of  $44,- 
158.71.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  why  this  was  appropriated  to  an  institu- 
tion that  was  self-supporting !  The  records  also  show  that  he  obtained  for  1896 
an  appropriation  of  $25,000,  and  later  an  additional  appropriation  of  $5,000.  And 
yet  this  man  who  had  been  persuading  Democratic  Legislatures  to  make  him  ap- 
propriations was  before  the  Legislature  of  1897  stating  that  no  appropriation  was 
necessary. 

The  management  of  the  Penitentiary  for  1897  and  1S9S  under  the  present  ad- 
ministration has  been  such  as  promises,  in  actual  fact,  what  the  Democratic  ma- 
chine was  always  claiming,  when,  at  the  same  time,  it  was  sinking  thousands  of 
dollars  annually — that  is,  a  self-supporting  Penitentiary. 

In  order  that  the  public  may  judge  for  themselves  of  the  conditions  as  they  ex- 
ist to-day,  a  statement  and  estimate  of  the  probable  condition  of  the  Penitentiary 
at  the  close  of  the  year  1898  is  here  given : 

MATERIAL  CONDITION  IN  1898. 

In  his  report  to  the  Board  of  Directors  for  1896,  Superintendent  Leazer  stated 
that  "  the  area  cultivated  in  all  crops  this  year  is  estimated  to  be  11,300  acres;  that 
the  average  number  of  convicts  this  year  is  only  1,198." 

The  number  of  acres  during  the  years  1897  and  1898  (present  administration), 
not  including  garden,  cane  and  potato  patches  which  will  amount,  this  year,  to  240 
acres,  is  as  follows  : 

1897.  Cotton.      Corn.     Peanuts.      Wheat.      Co-afieas. 

Halifax  Farm ; 600 

Northampton. 1,000 

Caledonia,  No.  1 1,300 

Caledonia,  No.  2 1,500 

Castle  Hayne .  .  50  .  .  50 

Anson goo 


Corn. 
1,000 
1,000 

Peanuts. 
8 

Oats  and 
Wheat. 
80 
fc6 

1,200 

i25 

700 

5° 
500 

Total 5.300        4,450  S  291  50 

Total  all  crops  10,099  acres  for  189?. 

The  ave.-age  number  of  convicts  from  January  1st  to  July  1,  1897,  was  1,143. 

Oats  and, 

1898.                                         Cotton.  Com.  Peanuts.  Wheat.     Peas.     Rice. 

Halifax 500  100  .  .  1,000 

Northampton 1,200  1.000  ..              400          75 

Caledonia,  No.  1 1,050  1,300                           275           25 

Caledonia,  No.  2 1,050  1,000  125             300 

Tillery goo  150  200 

Castle  Hayne 440  160 

Rice  Farm .  .  .  .  265 


Anson. 


500  400  . .  150 


Total 5.2oo        4,390        485  2,125         x95  265 

Total  all  crops  1,257  acres  for  1898. 

The  average  number  of  convicts  from  January  1,  1898,  to  July  1,  1898,  was  1,050. 


42 

So  it  appears  that  with  1,198  convicts,  11,300  acres  were  cultivated  on  the  State 
farms  in  1896  under  Democratic  regime,  while  with  1,050  convicts  12.257  acres  are 
being  cultivated  on  the  State  farms  in  1898  under  an  anti-Democratic  administra- 
tion. In  addition  to  this,  during  1898  there  have  been  carried  on  railroad  work 
with  ninety  hands,  a  shirt  manufactory  with  an  average  of  thirty  State  convicts, 
and  brick-making  with  an  average  of  twenty,  all  of  whom  are  included  in  the 
1,050  convicts  reported. 

The  various  crops  on  the  farms  at  this  time  are  better  than  "they  have  ever  been 
before.  Of  course  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  damaged  by  storm  or  freshet. 
But  on  the  basis  of  their  present  appearance  a  very  conservative  estimate  shows 
the  reasonably  probable  condition  that  the  Penitentiary  will  be  in  on  January  1, 
1899: 

Indebtedness  to  August  20,  1S98 $  90,000 

Rents 11,700 

Probable  indebtedness  from  August  20th  to  January  1,  1899 

Pay  rolls 21,000 

Food,  clothing   1 1,000 

Commutation  for  convicts , 1,250 

Incidentals J^o 

Total  to  January,  1899 , $136,500 

REAL  AND  PROBABLE  RESOURCES. 

From  U.  S.  Government  for  supporting  Federal  prisoners   .  .$  5,000 

Brick 5,000 

Railroad  work 1,500 

Phosphate  mines 2,000 

Shirt  factory 1,500 

Wheat  (in  excess  of  what  will  be  needed) 2,000 

Oats 2,000 

Corn  on  hand .• 4,000 

Estimate  of  cotton  growing — 3000  bales 66,000 

Cotton  seed — 80,000  bushels 8.000 

Corn — 100,000  bushels 35,ooo 

Peanuts— 1 15,000  bushels 7,000 

Rice — 10,000  bushels   10.000 

Hogs — 700  head 2,000 

Bills  due  and  collectible 1,500 

Total  resources  to  January  1,  1899 $146,500 

The  above  figures  are  extremely  conservative,  the  lowest  probable  prices  being 
estimated,  and  the  lowest  probable  yield  of  crops  being  stated.  Yet  there  ap- 
pears to  be  a  well  assured  balance  of  $10,000  in  favor  of  the  Penitentiary. 

There  has  not  been  a  dollar  of  appropriation.  The  institution  has  run  entirely 
on  its  own  credit  and  resources  for  1897  and  1898.  The  above  estimate  takes  no 
account  of  garden  products,  potatoes,  fodder,  straw,  hay,  sorghum,  etc.,  a  large 
amount  of  which  will  be  on  hand  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

No  such  favorable  showing  has  ever  been  made  before,  and  no  such  showing 
could  ever  be  made  under  Democratic  machine  management. 


43 

SOME  SAMPLE  BUSINESS  TRANSACTIONS. 

The  marvelously  peculiar  business  ability  of  the  Democratic  machine  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Penitentiary  is  exemplified  by  some  of  its  bargains.  Here  is  an  illus- 
tration: In  Northampton  county  the  machine  leased  a  tract  of  land  for  a  State 
farm  for  a  term  of  ten  years.  The  tract  consists  of  about  1,200  acres  in  round 
numbers.  The  taxable  value  of  this  tract  is  fixed  at  $5,467  dollars — less  than  five 
dollars  per  acre.  The  lease  provides  for  a  payment  of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  ($1,250)  per  year,  or  something  over  one  dollar  per  acre  per  year,  and  pro- 
vides that  the  tract  may  be  purchased,  if  desired,  for  fifteen  thousand  dollars 
($15,000). 

An  analysis  of  this  magnificent  business  bargain  shows  the  following: 

The  Penitentiary  pays  rent  at  the  rate  of  more  than  twenty-one  per  cent,  on  the 
taxable  value  of  the  land. 

The  amount  of  rent  paid  would  buy  the  land  in  less  than  five  years  at  its  taxable 
value. 

The  tract  which  is  valued  at  $5,647  is  offered  to  the  Penitentiary  for  $15,000. 

HERE  IS  ANOTHER  SAMPLE. 

In  Anson  count)'  the  machine  leased  946  acres  of  land  from  R.  T.  Bennett  for  a 
term  of  ten  years.  The  taxable  value  is  reported  at  about  three  dollars  per  acre. 
The  lease  provides  for  a  payment  of  nine  hundred  and  forty-six  dollars  ($946)  per 
year,  or  one  dollar  per  acre  per  year,  and  provides  that  the  tract  may  be  purchased, 
if  desired,  at  nine  dollars  per  acre.   , 

An  analysis  of  this  bargain  shows  the  following: 

The  Penitentiary  pays  rent  at  the  rate  of  more  than  thirty  per  cent,  on  the  taxa- 
ble value  of  the  land. 

The  amount  of  rent  paid  would  buy  the  land  in  less  than  four  years  at  its  taxable 
value. 

The  tract  which  is  valued  at  about  $3,000  is  offered  at  sale  to  the  Penitentiary 
for  about  $8,500. 

These  two  transactions  illustrate  the  general  business  ability  of  the  Democratic 
machine.     The  judgment  on  that  ability  is  left  to  the  people. 

THE  USE  AND  ABUSE  OF  THE  PARDONING  POWER. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  present  State  administration  the  Democratic  machine 
press  of  the  State  raised  a  great  cry  about  the  Executive  abuse  of  the  pardoning 
power.  These  sheets  charged  that  the  Governor  was  depopulating  the  Penitentiary 
at  a  most  rapid  rate;  that  he  was  turning  out  upon  the  public,  thieves  and  robbers 
and  murderers  just  as  fast  as  the  clerks  in  the  executive  office  could  prepare  par- 
dons for  them;  that  the  lives  and  property  of  the  people  were  in  danger  of  utter 
destruction  at  the  hands  of  the  Governor  and  his  liberated  felons;  that  Russell's 
administration  was  most  flagitious  and  wicked  in  comparison  with  that  of  the  able, 
elegant  and  saintly  Elias  Carr,  who  guarded  the  Penitentiary  with  jealous  care, 
and  never  turned  any  one  out  of  prison  who  was  below  the  degree  of  a  persecuted 
saint.  The  following  facts,  taken  from  the  official  records,  will  show  how  the 
Democratic  liars  outdid  themselves  in  this  instance : 


44 

Pardons  by  Governor  Carr. 

First  year  of  his  administration 36 

Second  year  of  his  administration \ 47 

Third  year  of  his  administration 68 

Fourth  year  of  his  administration 56 

Total 207 

Or  an  average  per  year  of  51^. 

„  Pardons  by  Governor  Russeix. 
First  year  of  his  administration , 51 

These  figures  include  both  jail  and  penitentiary  pardons. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  present  Governor  lacks  just  three-fourths  of  a  pardon  of 
doing  as  badly  during  the  first  year  of  his  administration  as  that  saintly  Governor, 
Elias  Carr,  did  upon  an  average  each  year  of  his  able,  faultless  and  immaculate 
management!  Oh,  that  Elias  could  have  been  just  a  little  more  virtuous,  or  that 
the  Democratic  papers  could  have  been  less  able  and  enormous  liars  than  they  are! 
Then,  verily,  the  party  of  broken  faith  and  bankrupt  manhood  would  not  have 
been  in  the  hole  they  now  find  themselves  struggling  in. 

ESCAPES. 

The  Democratic  machine  press  has  had  much  to  say  about  the  escapes  of  con- 
victs from  the  Penitentiary,  and  every  such  incident  has  been  heralded  far  and 
wide  as  an  evidence  of  the  "  lax,"  "  incompetent  "  management  of  the  same  by 
the  present  administration.  Well,  here  are  some  official  figures  on  that  score  of 
the  two  administrations.     Some  years  and  the  number  of  escapes  are  as  follows: 

Tear.  No.  Escapes.  Tear.  No.  Escapes. 

18S7 97  1890 77 

1888 63  1896 52 

1889 90    ■  1897 40 

The  average  number  of  escapes  per  year  under  the  Democratic  machine  for  the 
past  ten  years  has  been  fifty-six,  while  the  number  of  escapes  for  the  first  year  of 
the  present  administration,  1897,  was  only  forty.  And  thus  does  the  Democratic 
machine  illustrate  and  condemn  its  own  "  lax  and  incompetent  "  management. 

The  average  number  of  deaths  from  disease  tor  each  year  of  the  last  ten  years  of 
Democratic  regime  was  fifty-seven. 

The  number  of  deaths  from  disease  during  the  first  year  of  the  present  adminis- 
tration was  only  nineteen. 

BARBARITY    OF   PRISON    MANAGEMENT    UNDER  THE  DEMOCRATIC 

MACHINE. 

If  all  the  truth  and  facts  could  be  told  concerning  the  prison  management  of 
the  Democratic  machine  while  it  controlled  the  Penitentiary,  the  people  would  be 
shocked  and  dazed  from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the  other. 

No  greater  change  and  improvement  have  occurred  anywhere  than  in  this  insti- 
tution during  the  past  eighteen  months.  The  condition  of  the  prisoners  shows  a 
vast  improvement.  Instead  of  the  surly,  unkempt  crowd  seen  under  the  Democratic 
regime,  the  prisoners  are  now  tidy  and  clean. 


45 

A  very  strong  commendation  of  the  cleanliness  and  good  management  of  the 
prison  is  the  fact  that,  after  an  examination  of  all  the  Southern  prisons  by  U.  S. 
Government  inspectors,  the  inspectors  recommended  that  this  be  made  the  reposi- 
tory for  Federal  prisoners  from  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Geor- 
gia, etc.  No  such  stamp  of  approval  would  have  ever  been  given  the  prison  under 
the  conditions  that  formerly  prevailed. 

Another  evidence  of  the  vast  improvement  in  the  management  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  under  the  last  four  years  of  Democratic  management  the  death  rate  was 
forty-one  per  cent,  per  thousand,  while  under  the  present  management  the  death 
rate  has  been  reduced  to  nineteen  per  cent. 

The  sanitary  condition  of  the  State  Prison  under  the  present  administration  is 
admirable.  On  going  through  the  whole  vast  building,  from  kitchen  to  dormito- 
ries, everything  is  found  to  be  neat  and  spotlessly  clean.  A  weekly  bath  is  com- 
pulsory. Prisoners  are  ordered  to  report  to  the  physician  when  complaining  of 
feeling  unwell,  and  many  cases  of  illness  are  thus  checked  in  a  nascent  state. 

For  the  custom  under  the  former  administration,  see  the  evidence  further  on. 

During  the  month  of  August  a  visit  was  made  to  the  Penitentiary,  and  by  per- 
mission of  the  Warden,  some  inquiries  were  made  of  employees  who  have  been  in 
service  for  a  number  of  years,  and  also  of  convicts. 

One  of  the  first  items  of  peculiar  information  elicited  was  the  fact  that  under  the 
former  administration,  the  general  public  was  never  admitted  to  the  women's 
department.  No  reason  could  be  learned  for  this  rule,  but  an  official  who  has 
shown  hundreds  of  visitors  through  declares  that  it  .xvas  the  rule. 

The  information  generally  given  to  questions  would  turn  the  stories  of  cruelty  to 
Siberean  exiles  green  with  envy.  The  convicts  were  asked  :  "  Have  you  any  com- 
plaint to  make  of  the  treatment  you  have  received  and  receive  now  ?  Is  there  any 
difference?   If  so,  what?" 

"As  nearly  as  I  can  draw  a  comparison,"  said  an  intelligent  life-term  white  con- 
vict, "the  difference  is  as  great  as  that  between  night  and  day."  "  We  used  to  be 
treated  as  brutes,  but  now  as  human  beings,"  declared  the  life-termer. 

"  Of  course  there  are  the  necessary  restraints  of  prison,"  answered  a  white  man, 
"  but  otherwise  we  are  treated  as  well  as  can  be." 

An  old  negress  declared,  "  It  is  not  now  as  it  used  to  be.  This  is  heaven  to  what 
it  used  to  be  ! "  . 

One  old  fellow  who  is  serving  a  life  sentence,  facetiously  remarked,  "  I  know  I 
ought  to  be  here,  but  if  ever  the  Democrats  get  in  again,  I  hope  the  Lord  or  the 
Governor  one  will  take  me  out. ' ' 

For  a  number  of  years  before  the  Penitentiary  changed  hands  there  were  rumors, 
vague  and  uncertain,  of  brutal  treatment  of  the  prisoners.  Several  attempts^  to 
prove  cruelty  resulted  badly  for  the  informing  convicts — for  instances  see  the  Green 
and  Cunningham  evidence  under  III  and  IV — and  the  officers  protested  against  the 
"sensational  reports."  Credulous  as  we  were,  we  accepted  their  prejudiced  and 
selfish  denials  ;  but  miserable  men  and  women  behind  those  grim  walls  knew  the 
truth,  while  bruised  and  bleeding  bodies  proved  their  knowledge. 

To  two  or  three  good  women,  whose  husbands  were  officers  under  Democratic 
good  (?)  government,  do  many  prisoners  owe  much  gratitude  for  their  merciful 
intercession,  and  the  people  at  large  their  thanks  for  many  of  these  facts.  An 
instance  of  their  intercession  will  be  found  in  the  Wright  case. 

Punishment  under  both  administrations  consisted  in  :  Confinement  to  dark  cells 
with  only  bread  and  water  ;  ball  and  chain  and  flogging  ;  but  there  is  much  differ- 


46 

ence.  For  instance,  under  the  former  administration  when  a  prisoner  was  con- 
fined to  the  dark  cell,  only  a  small  piece  of  corn  bread  and  one  cup  of  water  were 
furnished  each  day  ;  one  blanket  was  also  given — no  bed,  and  in  winter  the  window 
was  left  open.  Now,  a  sufficient  supply  of  bread  and  water  is  made  and  the  pris- 
oner has  enough  bedding  to  make  his  condition  endurable.  Then  the  whip  con- 
sisted of  two  pieces  of  heavy  harness  leather,  three  inches  wide,  sewed  together,  that 
bruised  and  broke  the  skin  ;  now  a  piece  of  more  humane  size  is  used,  though 
seldom.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Wadford,  who  now  is  connected  with  a  low  grog 
shop  in  Raleigh,  flogged  men  and  women  alike.  Invariably  the  back  and  some- 
times more  would  be  bared,  and  the  body  swung  almost  clear  of  the  floor  by  a  rope 
tied  to  the  manacled  wrists,  and  the  whipper  would  ply  the  lash. 

"  How  can  you  whip  a  woman  ?"  exclaimed  a  Christian  lady  one  day.  "  Why," 
•he  replied,  "that  is  my  delight ;  I  grow  fat  on  it."  It  is  said  that  now,  leaning 
on  the  counter  he  talks  to  those  who  listen  over  the  fact  that  he  whipped  women 
on  their  naked  backs. 

The  treatment  of  prisoners  above  spoken  of  in  a  general  way  is  attested  and 
emphasized  by  the  following  instances. 

I.  Alf  Dodd  is  a  negro  serving  a  term  for  larceny.  He  testified  :  "The  food  is 
better  and  there  is  plenty  of  it.  Under  Capt.  Fleming  I  have  gone  hungry  to  work 
many  a  day  and  have  actually  fainted  from  exhaustion.  If  I  complained  of  feeling 
unwell — not  down  with  sickness — I  was  not  allowed  to  go  to  the  physician,  but 
made  to  work,  being  given  a  little  quinine,  maybe.  The  work  was  often  more  than 
a  man  could  stand." 

II.  Sam  Waters  was  a  crippled  negro  that  had  fits.  Because  he  worked  slower 
than  the  other  men  on  the  Caraleigh  Cut  he  was  whipped  severely  and  knocked  in 
the  head  with  a  shovel.  He  was  hauled  to  the  hospital  in  an  unconscious  state  in 
a  cart.  The  men  spoke  of  the  overseer's  striking  men  on  the  head  with  sticks  and 
shovels  as  an  every  day  occurrence. 

III.  Some  convict,  on  leaving  the  Penitentiary  in  1889,  told  old  aunt  Charity 
Cunningham  down  in  Warren  that  her  son,  Abe,  was  being  whipped  unmercifully. 
She  was  terribly  disturbed  and  took  the  complaint  to  Col.  Cook.  Inquiry  was  made 
to  a  Director  ;  the  letter  was  forwarded  to  the  Superintendent ;  from  him  to  the 
overseer  ;  and  when  Abe's  time  was  out  a  few  months  later,  he  reported  that  the 
worst  beating  he  had  ever  had  was  caused  by  this  inquiry. 

IV.  Delia  Green  had  an  investigation  started  of  the  same  nature,  and  as  a  result 
she  received  three  terrible  whippings. 

V.  Henry  Gunter,  a  white  boy  only  fifteen  years  old,  was  to  be  flogged  for  some 
trivial  offence.  Having  a  boil  on  the  lower  part  of  his  back,  he  begged  that  he 
should  not  be  struck  there.  The  first  brutal  blow  bursted  the  boil  and  the  boy 
fainted. 

VI.  When  Willis  Plummer  returned  to  his  cabin  home  in  Warren  oounty,  the 
boy's  back  had  been  beaten  raw  by  the  prison  overseers.  Growing  weaker  and 
weaker,  he  never  recovered,  but  died  inside  of  two  months  time. 

VII.  W.  E.  Harris,  a  white  prisoner,  was  shot  in  the  foot  while  attempting  to 
escape.  The  wound  was  dressed  and  the  man  confined  to  the  dark  cell.  The 
wound  made  him  so  ill  that  for  seven  days  his  stomach  refused  the  only  food 
offered  him,  a  bit  of  corn  bread,  and  he  was  allowed  nothing  else.  A  man  starved 
for  seven  days! 

VIII.  Henrietta  McGee  was  ordered  by  Miss  Kennedy,  who  had  a  hard  heart 
in  a  woman's  body,  to  be  held  in  the  bath-tub  by  the  attendants  while  the  hot 


47 

water  was  turned  over  her.  This  was  because  the  girl  was  idiotic,  and  would  not 
talk.  From  the  tub  the  girl  went  to  the  hospital,  and  from  the  hospital  to  the 
insane  asylum. 

IX.  In  1890,  while  Jane  Morrison  was  in  the  wash-house  one  of  the  male  convicts 
slipped  through  a  window  and  attempted  to  assault  her.  She  did  not  submit ;  but 
both  being  caught,  the  man  was  given  the  dark  cell,  and  the  woman  flogged.  From 
the  whipping-block  she  went  to  the  hospital,  and  from  the  hospital  to  the  cemetery. 

X.  John  McMahan  is  an  Irish  Catholic  from  the  mountains.  Homicide  in  self- 
defense  is  almost  unquestionably  the  crime  for  which  he  is  serving  a  life  sentence. 
An  instance  of  the  man's  character  is  not  amiss  here.  He  works  incessantly  in 
spare  hours  in  making  trinkets  which  he  sells  to  visitors.  When  a  prisoner  who 
has  a  good  record  leaves  for  home,  John  gives  him  part  or  all  his  savings  with  a 
few  words  of  advice  to  lead  an  honest  life.  "  Have  you  ever  been  punished?"  he 
was  asked,  and  in  reply  he  gave  this  terrible  tale,  which  is  vouched  for,  part  by  part, 
by  a  half  dozen  men : 

"  During  the  Spring  of  1891,  being  sickly,  I  would  take  a  part  of  my  breakfast 
into  my  pocket  to  eat  during  the  day.  This  I  knew  was  against  the  rules,  but  if  I 
did  not  have  something  between  meals  I  became  faint  and  unfit  for  work.  One 
day  on  leaving  the  table,  from  my  allowance  of  two  biscuits  I  slipped  one  that  I 
did  not  care  to  eat  into  my  pocket.  Later  on  Capt.  Fleming  saw  it  and  asked  if  I 
stole  it  from  the  kitchen.  On  receiving  a  truthful  reply,  he  answered,  "You  could 
not  have  told  a  bigger  lie  if  you  had  tried, ' '  and  ordered  me  to  the  dark  cell  to  be 
whipped.  After  Mr.  Wadford  had  given  me  seven  licks,  Capt.  Fleming  asked  if  I 
would  tell  the  truth  then.  When  I  reiterated  my  statement,  he  ordered  the  flog- 
ging to  be  continued.  As  he  could  not  force  me  to  tell  a  lie,  I  was  put  into  the 
dark  cell  for  twenty -four  hours  without  a  bite  of  bread  or  a  drop  of  water.  After 
that  I  was  flogged  on  the  four  succeeding  days  and  confined  to  the  cell  on  bread 
and  water.  Finally,  my  back  being  lacerated  and  bloody,  the  physician  rescued 
me  and  had  me  made  a  helper  in  the  hospital. "  "  Not  a  black  mark  against  him 
since  I  have  been  here, "° said  the  Warden.  "One  must  only  look  into  this  man's 
face  to  know  that  he  speaks  the  truth  ;  and  Capt.  Fleming  punished  him,  not  with 
any  proof  of  his  guilt,  but  merely  on  suspicion." 

XL  Andy  Winecoff  was  considered  "a  bad  nigger,"  and  doubtless  he  was.  He 
had  whippings  innumerable,  and  doubtless  many  were  deserved.  But  it  is  only  of 
the  inhuman  treatment  that  he  received  on  one  or  two  occasions  that  mention  is 
made  here. 

Mr.  Wadford,  the  foreman  of  the  shoe-shop  and  boss  whipper,  was  in  the 
habit  of  recounting  his  money  every  pay  day  and  putting  it  into  an  unlocked 
drawer  in  the  shop.  The  temptation  was  too  great  for  Andy;  so,  one  September 
night  in  1896,  the  $304  disappeared.  The  theft  was  traced  to  Andy  and  the  money 
recovered.  Of  course  the  dark  cell  and  flogging  were  very  justly  ordered.  When 
Capt.  Wadford  appeared  with  his  whip,  however,  and  Andy  was  being  strung  up, 
he  begged  one  request  of  Capt.  Fleming.  "What  is  it?"  the  Warden  asked. 
"  Captain,  I  deserve  a  whipping,  I  reckon,"  pleaded  Andy,  "  but  please  don't  let 
Capt.  Wadford  give  it  to  me.  I  stole  the  money  from  him  and  he  won't  be  human 
in  the  punishment."  "  Oh,  hello!"  said  Capt.  Fleming,  "  If  that's  all,  go  ahead, 
Mr.  Wadford."  This  plea  of  old  Andy  was  based,  though  unconsciously,  on  a 
tenet  of  common  law  that  the  man  who  suffers  shall  not  administer  legal  punish- 
ment. First  and  last  Andy  received  105  licks,  most  of  them  across  the  small  of 
his  back .     Then  he  was  confined  to  the  dark  cell   for  eleven  and  a  half  days,  dur- 


48 

ing  five  of  which  his  back  was  so  raw  that  he  could  not  lie  on  it.  To-day  he  is 
suffering  from  kidney  trouble  brought  on  by  the  flogging  across  his  kidneys.  He 
has  had  one  whipping  under  Warden  Russell  for  fighting,  and  admits  that  it  was 
deserved.     That  is  the  only  black  mark  that  he  has  had  for  nearly  two  years. 

XII.  In  1892  Plunk  Daniels,  a  white  man,  was  incarcerated.  One  leg  was  partly 
paralyzed,  so  that  he  could  hop  along  only  on  the  toe.  He  was  ordered  to  walk 
firmly  on  it,  but  either  because  the  order  did  not  come  from  one  empowered  to 
work  miracles  or  because  the  prisoner's  faith  was  insufficient,  he  could  not.  His 
sound  leg  was  tied  up — the  foot  doubled  back  to  the  hip — and  he  was  swung  up  by 
the  thumbs  for  three  days,  having  a  choice  of  standing  on  a  partly  paralyzed  leg 
or  swinging  by  the  thumbs.  During  this  time  he  was  flogged — one  informant 
says  twice,  another  three  times.  Finally  the  prisoner  was  turned  over  to  the  phy- 
sician who  used  electricity  and  liniment  with  only  partial  success. 

XIII.  Arminta  Wright,  a  colored  girl,  had  a  fight  with  another  convict  during 
the  winter  of  1S95-96.  For  punishment  Capt.  Fleming  ordered  her  hands  to  be 
pulled  through  the  bars  above  her  head  and  then  manacled.  In  this  terrible  posi- 
tion the  wretched  girl  was  kept  for  five  days,  only  being  released  at  night,  until 
the  good  wife  of  one  of  the  officers  went  to  her  husband  in  behalf  of  the  victim. 

"Mr. ,  I  cannot  stand  it,"  the  good  woman  pleaded.     "I  shall  go 

crazy  if  this  poor  girl's  suffering  is  not  relieved."  Yielding  to  his  wife's  entreaty, 
the  officer  released  the  girl.  When  Capt.  Fleming  returned  he  and  this  officer  had 
violent  words  about  the  matter,  and  as  a  result  of  their  quarrel,  and  for  no  other 
cause,  Arminta  was  returned  to  punishment  for  five  days  more.  During  this  time 
there  was  a  heavy  snow  on  the  ground  and  the  prisoner  contracted  a  violent  cold 
which  developed  into  consumption,  and  in  eighteen  months  the  scapegoat  of  this 
quarrel  died  as  a  result  of  the  disease. 

She  was  given  the  first  Christian  burial  that  ever  took  place  at  the  Penitentiary. 

XIV.  Here,  perhaps,  is  one  of  the  saddest  as  well  as  the  most  cruel  cases  in  the 
record  of  the  prison  management.  The  first  night  Warden  Russell  spent  at  the 
Penitentiary  he  was  kept  awake  until  nearly  dawn  by  cryings  that  sounded  half 
beast-like  and  half  human.  Upon  investigation  the  next  morning  he  was  informed, 
"  Oh,  it  was  nobody  but  old  Abe  Hensley."  But  that  would  not  do  for  the  War- 
den; he  demanded  to  see  the  prisoner.  With  reluctance  one  of  the  officers  con- 
ducted him  up  stairs  and  threw  open  the  door  of  a  filthy  and  foul-smelling  eel} 
There,  chained  around  the  right  ankle,  by  an  eight-foot  chain,  a  white  man  paced 
up  and  down  from  corner  to  corner,  like  a  restless  hyena,  as  he  had  done  for  six 
long  years.  His  food  was  thrown  to  him  as  to  a  dog  and  was  picked  up  and  eaten 
savagely  in  spite  of  the  filth.  He  had  to  be  tied  when  shaved,  and  that  operation 
as  well  as  bathing  took  place  seldom  enough.  If  the  demented  fellow  made  too 
much  noise,  another  convict  flogged  him  with  the  regulation  bull-whip  until  his 
back  was  covered  with  blood.  When  the  flogger  would  approach  the  poor  fellow 
would  cry  out,  "  Do  you  believe  in  the  Dord  Jesus  Christ?  Well,  don't  whip  old 
Abe!  Don't  whip  old  Abe!!"  But,  in  spite  of  all  his  pleading,  he  was  beaten  like 
a  beast. 

Mr.  Russell  gave  him,  as  a  keeper,  a  good  conduct  prisoner,  had  him  unchained 
and  treated  as  a  human,  washed  and  shaved  once  or  twice  a  week,  and  in  two 
months  there  was  not  a  more  docile  prisoner  in  the  Penitentiary.  To-day  he  walks 
about  the  Criminal  Insane  Department  entirely  harmless  and  quiet.  The  attendant 
bared  his  back,  and  there,  though  eighteen  months  old  at  least,  are  dozens  of  brutal 
scars  where  the  lash  cut  into  and  bruised  the  flesh.  Around  the  right  ankle  there 
are  yet  scars  and  scabs  where  the  anklet  wore  into  the  flesh. 


49 

XV.  Collis  Shoemaker  was  sentenced  to  five  years  in  the  Penitentiary  for 
attempting  to  burn  a  jail.  Here  is  her  prison  history  as  told  by  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Womans'  Christian  Temperance  Union,  and  corroborated  by  the 
wife  of  a  Democratic  officer: 

"  I  saw  the  Shoemaker  girl  when  she  wa6  first  brought  to  the  Penitentiary. 
She  was  a  strong  girl,  buxom,  and  rosy-cheeked,  but  being  called  away  from 
Raleigh  soon  afterwards,  I  did  not  see  her  again  until  early  in  January  1894.  On 
going  back  again  I  saw  Collis  in  the  sewing-room  with  her  head  bowed  on  the 
the  machine.  So  much  changed  was  she  that  I  scarcely  recognized  her,  and  did 
not  until  Miss  Kennedy  called  her  name.  The  bloom  was  all  gone  from  her  com- 
plexion, and  in  the  hollows  of  her  cheeks  one  could  have  placed  a  guinea  egg. 
Her  emaciated  frame  and  sunken  eyes  told  of  serious  illness,  and  I  asked  Miss 
Kennedy  what  was  the  matter  with  her.  "Nothing,"  she  replied,  striking  the 
girl's  face  sharply  with  her  hand,  "  except  laziness.  Go  to  work,"  she  snapped  to- 
the  girl.  As  Collis  raised  her  head  and  began  automatically  to  peddle  the  machine, 
I  saw  that  she  was  in  a  dying  condition.  She  did  not  seem  to  see  anything  before 
her,  or  to  know  that  there  was  any  cloth  on  the  machine,  her  eyes  being  set  in  a 
dazed  way.  I  remonstrated  and  asked  Miss  Kennedy  how  she  dared  strike  the- 
prisoners  so.  "  Oh,  they  know  better  than  to  hurt  me  ;  I  would  have  them  killed,"' 
she  retorted.  Collis  was  soon  afterwards  taken  from  the  sewing- room,  in  her  dying 
condition,  and  cruelly  beaten  by  Wadford,  and  before  day  broke  her  soul  had 
passed  before  a  just  Master,  where  no  doubt  she  found  the  peace  that  earth  denied 
her." 

These  cases  are  not  an  exhausted  list  by  any  means,  but  are  instanced  simply  to 
show  what  terrible  brutality  has  been  practiced  here  in  the  very  shadow  of  Chris- 
tian churches.  The  present  officials  do  not  try  to  make  prison  life  attractive,  nor 
do  they,  as  some  newspapers  facetiously  charge,  feed  the  men  on  strawberries  and 
cream,  but  they  do  treat  the  prisoners  kindly  and  firmly  and  not  as  brutes.  The 
food  and  service  to  us  free  men  seem  coarse  enough  even  now,  and  it  is  hard  to 
imagine  that  they  ever  could  have  been  worse,  but  there  is  ample  proof  of  the  fact. 
These  acts  of  brutality  mentioned  above  were  done  in  the  central  prison.  Many  of 
the  prisoners  declared  that  the  treatment  on  the  farms  was  far  worse,  but  there 
has  been  opportunity  and  time  to  gather  only  these  facts.  But  are  they  not 
sufficient  to  fire  the  blood  of  any  humane  man  ? 

It  is  possible  that  in  making  an  almost  entire  change  of  officers,  some  unfit  men 
were  secured.  It  could  scarcely  have  been  otherwise  in  so  great  a  number  of  new 
men,  but  they  have  been  weeded  out  as  fast  as  possible,  and  now  the  administra- 
tion is  giving  the  best  service  that  has  ever  been  had.     Neither  blow  nor  lash 

HAS  BEEN  LAID  ON  A  WOMAN'S  BACK  DURING  THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  PRESENT 
ADMINISTRATION. 

The  foregoing  "  numbered  "  statements  were  collected  at  the  request  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  People's  Party  State  Executive  Committee,  and  are  substantiated  by  the 
following  certificate  : 

Raleigh,  N.  C,  August  31,  1898. 
We,  the  undersigned,  certify  that  we  have  read  the  entire  statements  above  ;  that 
we  have  made  such  inquiries  and  elicited  such  information  as  to  authorize  us  to 
assert  that  we  believe  them  to  be  true. 

JNO.  -f-  HOLDERFIELD, 

W.  H.  Johnson, 
James  Mott. 


5° 

Mr.  Holderfield  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Penitentiary  for  sixteen  years. 
He  was  on  guard  duty  till  January,  1898,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engineer. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Penitentiary  four  years — three  under 
the  Democratic  machine  administration,  and  one  under  the  present  administration. 
He  is  now  commander  of  the  guard. 

Mr.  James  Mott  is  a  son  of  J.  J.  Mott,  of  Iredell  county,  and  is  now  Superinten- 
dent of  the  shirt  factory. 

SOME  TERRIFIC  DEMOCRATIC  EVIDENCE. 

The  Penitentiary  Under  Democrats,  Compared  with  the  Present 

Management. 

The  following  letter  was  written  for  the  Register,  at  Asheville,  b}^  the  man  whose 
name  is  signed  to  it.  It  was  written  by  its  author  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
men  who  are  in  charge  of  the  Penitentiary.  It  appears  just  as  it  was  written,  with 
the  exception  of  the  elimination  of  one  or  two  unnecessarily  harsh  expressions. 
There  has  been  no  other  changes  in  its  phraseology,  and  no  additions  of  any  kind 
whatever. 

The  writer  of  this  letter  is  a  Democrat ;  has  always  been  a  Democrat ;  and  has 
been  honored  more  than  once  by  his  party,  in  both  State  and  Nation. 

Tatham  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Andrews,  in  Cherokee  county,  N.  C.  in 
1893,  under  the  administration  of  Mr.  Cleveland  ;  and,  he  says,  he  was  appointed 
through  the  personal  efforts  of  Hon.  W.  T.  Crawford,  at  that  time  a  member  of 
Congress  from  the  Ninth  District,  and  at  this  time  a  candidate  for  election  to  Con- 
gress from  the  same  District.  Mr.  Crawford  is  looked  upon  as  the  Demosthenes  of 
the  Democratic  party  in  Western  North  Carolina,  and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
he  would  have  had  one  appointed  Postmaster  in  his  own  district,  who  was  not  a 
good  Democrat ! 

Then,  too,  the  writer  of  the  following  letter  was  honored  by  his  State  and  the 
Governor  of  his  State.  The  records  in  the  Executive  office  at  Raleigh  show  that 
Tatham  was  appointed  by  Governor  Carr,  on  February  9,  1894,  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  and  for  the  county  of  Cherokee,  and  that  this  appointment  was  made 
upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Executive  Commit- 
tee of  that  county. 

These  facts  are  mentioned  to  show  that  the  statements  in  the  letter  which  follows 
are  not  prompted  by  political  prejudice. 

Let  the  letter  speak  for  itself. 

Editor  the  Register,  Asheville,  N.  C. : 

Sir: — I  see  a  piece  written  in  the  "Tuckasiege  Democrat"  by  an  ex-convict, 
denouncing  the  Republican  party  for  their  treatment  of  the  State  prisoners,  and 
also  every  Democratic  newspaper  I  can  see  is  doing  the  same,  and  calling  on  the 
white  men  of  the  Western  part  of  the  State  to  come  to  the  aid  of  their  Eastern 
brethren  and  place  the  Democratic  party  back  in  power. 

Now,  Mr.  Editor,  I  am  a  convict,  and  no  doubt  but  some  will  say  that  be- 
cause of  that  no  one  should  pay  any  attention  to  what  I  say,  but  I  am  very  well 
known  in  Cherokee,  Clay,  Graham,  Macon  and  Swain  counties,  and  whatever  my 
faults  may  have  been  otherwise,  I  was  not  accused  of  being  a  liar,  and  now  I  wish 
to  give  you  a  few  facts  concerning  the  treatment  of  us  who  were  so  unfortunate  as 
to  become  prisoners  under  Democratic  rule. 

In  the  first  place,  we  did  not  expect  to  be  treated  as  guests  of  honor,  but  we  did 
expect  to  be  treated,  as  human  beings,  but  were  sadly  disappointed.  These  same 
Democrats  who  are  "  hollerin  nigger  so  loud"  made  us  Western  white  men  eat, 
sleep  and  mix  up  with  negroes,  without  any  regard  to  our  color  whatever.  While 
I  was  down  sick,  unable  to  get  out  of  bed,  I  was  made  to  lie  side  by  side  with  a 


5i 

big  black  negro  ;  had  to  sit  at  the  same  table  with  them,  and  wash  out  of  the  same 
tub,  and  instead  of  putting  us  white  men  in  a  seperate  cell,  they  put  fourteen  white 
men  in  with  ioo  negroes  where  there  were  only  two  stoves.  We  had  to  stand  back 
in  the  cold,  as  these  negroes  would  not  let  us  come  near  the  fire.  No  use  to  go  to 
the  officers,  as  they  would  tell  us  openly  that  they  had  no  sympathy  for  a  Western 
man,  and  nine-tenths  of  the  white  men  were  from  the  Western  part  of  the  State. 
And  again,  the  overseers  would  make  a  white  man  pull  off  his  clothes  and  get  down 
and  have  a  negro  to  whip  him  unmercifully,  while  they  stood  looking  on  with  de- 
light. They  encouraged  the  negroes  to  abuse  and  insult  us  and  allowed  them  to 
talk  about  our  families  disgustingly.  I  write  this  simply  to  show  you  that  while 
they  are  crying  out  to  the  Western  white  men  to  rescue  them  from  negro  rule,  as 
soon  as  they  get  one  of  us  in  their  power  they  allow  us  to  be  treated  worse  than 
dogs  by  these  same  negroes.  And  this  is  not  all  we  had  to  endure — they  would  lock 
up  the  cells  on  Sundays  and  make  us  stay  out  in  the  yard  in  the  cold,  wintry  wind 
without  any  fire  or  protection  whatever.  No  necessity  for  it — just  the  pure  hellish- 
ness  that  was  in  them. 

The  overseers  were  allowed  to  beat  the  men  out  on  the  works  with  sticks  or  any- 
thing they  chose.  1  have  seen  men  roll  wheelbarrows  until  they  fell  exhausted, 
and  the  overseer  would  go  up  and  beat  him  with  a  shovel  while  lying  there.  I 
have  had  chills  myself  and  had  to  go  and  lie  down  in  the  hot  sun  half  a  day  with 
a  scorching  fever,  and  not  a  drop  of  water  would  the  overseer  allow  to  be  given  to 
me  because  I  was  not  able  to  work,  and,  think  of  it,  with  water  as  plentiful  as  it  is, 
and  made  by  God  for  us  all,  I. have  had  to  buy  water  from  the  negro  water- boys, 
the  overseers  allowing  them  to  pass  us  by  without  giving  us  a  drop  unless  we  chose 
to  pay  them  for  it.  I  have  seen  them  make  a  poor  lellow  who  was  sick  with 
pneumonia  fever  break  the  ice  and  jump  into  the  ditch  and  stand  half  a  day  when 
he  was  not  able  to  work.  He  had  to  be  carried  in,  and  in  three  days  was  dead. 
Have  seen  them  beat  with  sticks  until  they  had  to  be  carried  to  the  hospital,  and 
never  came  out  alive.  As  to  what  they  fed  us,  it  was  barely  enough  to  keep  us 
alive.  I  have  "seen  white  men  go  about  over  the  yard,  and  to  the  slop  buckets  and 
pick  up  old  mouldy  pieces  of  corn  bread,  and  eat  it  ravenously,  and  when  we  went 
to  the  Supervisor  and  asked  him  politely  to  give  us  something  more  to  eat,  he 
replied  by  cutting  down  our  meat  six  pounds  a  day  less  than  it  was.  We  never 
knew  what  it  was  to  draw  a  piece  of  manufactured  tobacco,  and  I  drew  paper  and 
envelopes  three  times  in  sixteen  months  while  the  Democrats  were  in  control. 
Two  pair  of  cotton  socks  a  year,  in  November  and  March.  That  was  all  that  they 
gave  us  for  the  year.  I  suppose,  though,  that  the  State  allowed  us  paper,  tobacco, 
etc.,  but  where  it  went  to  I  can't  tell. 

And,  again,  a  man's  temperature  had  to  be  above  100-0  before  they  would  allow 
him  to  stop,  and  the  State  doctor  (West),  never  let  his  hands  touch  a  prisoner.  If 
it  was  something  that  compelled  him  to  use  his  hands,  he  was  careful  to  put  on  his 
gloves  first.  He  couldn't  touch  a  convict,  but  I  suppose  he  could  take  hold  of  the 
State  money  all  right,  which  he  drew  for  tending  to  these  same  convicts.  We 
were  made  to  sleep  in  our  wet,  muddy  clothes  that  we  had  ditched  in  all  day. 
Often  they  would  be  frozen  stiff.  Men  were  locked  up  in  the  dark  cell  for  days  at 
a  time  without  food  or  water,  and  I  saw  them  lock  up  a  white  man  for  wanting  to 
preach  on  Sunday,  at  the  same  time  they  allowed  the  .negroes  to  preach.  I  can't 
tell  whether  the  man  was  competent  to  preach  or  not,  as  I  don't  believe  much  in 
Penitentiary  religion,  but  I  just  show  you  the  difference  that  was  made.  And 
when  the  Republicans  took  charge,  the  Democratic  Supervisor  left,  carrying  off 
about  $50  of  the  prisoners'  money  that  their  people  had  sent  them.  They  never 
got  a  cent  of  it.  But  enough  of  this.  I  could  go  on  all  day  and  not  begin  to 
enumerate  the  abuses,  indignities,  etc. ,  which  we  had  to  undergo,  and  while  it  is 
not  a  paradise  yet,  there  has  been  a  wonderful  change  since  the  Republicans  came 
into  power.  They  feed  us  well,  treat  us  more  like  we  were  human  beings,  and 
they  have  separated  us,  the  white  men  and  negroes  in  separate  cells,  have  separate 
clothes,  and  treat  us  entirely  different  from  what  the  Democrats  did,  although  they 
are  called  the  negro  party. 

We  get  our  tobacco  and  writing  material  regularly.  Instead  of  being  allowed  to 
write  home  once  a  month  as  formerly,  we  can  write  every  week,  or  oftener  if  nec- 
essary, and  we  get  our  mail  every  day  instead  of  weekly  as  heretofore. 

Now,  there  may  be  some  good  Democrats  in  this  section  of  the  State,  but  I  have 
failed  to  come  in  contact  with  them.  The  Penitentiary  officials,  and  the  men 
who  were  put  over  us  as  models,  and  to  reform  us,  were  a  set  of  coarse,  vulgar  and 


52 

brutish  men  who  had  no  refinement  or  gentlemanly  principles  about  them,  and  I 
think  they  are  a  fair  sample  of  the  Eastern  Democrats.  They  are  nothing  in  com. 
mon  with  the  Western  men ;  are  a  sordid,  selfish  lot  ( so  far  as  I  have  seen ) .  I  know 
this  is  pretty  rough,  but  when  the  same  men  stand  up  to  my  face  when  they  have 
me  in  their  power,  and  talk  insultingly  and  disgustingly  about  my  wife  and  sister 
without  any  cause  whatever,  it  is  enough  to  make  my  blood  boil.  I  see  that  the 
people  are  amazed  and  shocked  at  the  boldness  of  the  negro  editor  of  Wilmington, 
and  I  do  not  blame  them  for  it,  but  he  is  no  worse  than  those  low-born  white  Dem- 
ocrats who  use  just  as  bad  language  about  our  wives  and  sisters.  All  this  has  been 
stopped.  There  is  as  much  difference  between  the  present  Warden  and  the  former 
Warden,  Mr.  Fleming,  as  there  is  between  day  and  night,  or  to  be  more  plain,  as 
there  is  between  a  gentleman  and  a  brute. 

And  now  a  few  words  to  the  Western  Democrats.  Everybody  who  knows  me, 
know  that  I  was  a  partisan,  and  hot-headed  a  Democrat  as  there  was  in  the  State, 
and  I  have  no  love  for  the  negro,  but  if  the  white  men  of  my  section  had  only  un- 
dergone the  cruelties  that  I  have  they  would  surely  never  vote  another  Democratic 
ticket  in  North  Carolina.  Now,  doubtless  some  will  say  that  we  are  convicts  and 
don't  deserve  any  better  treatment.  Still  we  are  human  beings,  and  while  there 
are  low  down  and  degraded  men  here,  there  are  others  who  are  undoubtedly  inno- 
cent of  the  crimes  with  which  they  are  charged,  and  others,  under  force  of  circum- 
stances, committed  crimes  which  they  deeply  regret,  and  have  as  good  principles 
as  many  a  man  on  the  outside.  If  the  dead  men  who  are  buried  on  these  State 
farms  and  in  the  railroad  fills,  could  only  rise  up  and  tell  the  bitter  trials  and  cru- 
elties of  their  treatment  under  the  ' '  grand  old  Democratic  party  ' '  it  would  cer- 
tainly make  a  dark  spot  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina.  We  hold  up  our  hands  in 
horror  at  the  cruelties  practiced  on  the  Siberian  exiles,  and  even  go  to  war  over 
the  unjust  treatment  of  the  Cubans;  but  right  here  in  our  own  civilized  country, 
under  the  very  spires  of  the  churches,  have  been  enacted  for  years  under  Demo- 
cratic rule,  cruelties  and  brutishness  by  which  these  other  atrocities  pale  into  insig- 
nificance. As  long  back  as  I  can  remember  the  old  campaign  cry  has  been  for  the 
Western  white  men  to  come  to  the  relief  of  the  Eastern  Democrats.  I  do  not  know 
whether  ' '  negro  domination  "  is  as  bad  as  they  picture  it,  but  I  do  know  that 
they  deserve  no  help  at  our  hands.  They  have  no  sympathy  for  us  and  we  should 
not  have  any  for  them.  Surely  no  man  who  has  a  friend  or  relative  in  this  place 
will  ever  vote  to  put  the  old  party  back  over  us,  when  we  would  as  soon  see  our 
coffins  as  to  see  them  placed  over  us  again. 

And  now  let  me  say  in  closing,  that  while  I  am  a  white  man,  and  although  I  am 
in  prison,  I  have  as  much  respect  and  esteem  for  our  women  as  any  man  possibly 
could  have,  rather  than  vote  for  a  Democrat  who  lives  east  of  the  old  Richmond 
and  Danville  Railroad,  which  crosses  the  State  from  Danville,  Va.,  to  Spartanburg, 
S.  C,  I  would  vote  for  the  blackest  negro  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina.  I  know 
this  is  pretty  strong,  but  God  knows  I  have  seen  enough  to  change  me,  and  every 
other  man  in  the  State  if  they  only  knew  it  as  I  do. 

A  few  more  words  as  to  our  present  Warden  and  I  will  worry  you  no  further. 
He  is  a  gentleman  in  every  respect.  I  have  never  seen  a  man  who  has  more  feel- 
ing for  us  unfortunate  beings,  and  he  does  everything  in  his  power  to  treat  us  as 
fellow  men,  and  to  lighten  as  far  as  possible  our  burdens  so  that  we  can  endure 
our  imprisonment,  and  throws  nothing  in  the  way  of  our  communicating  with  our 
loved  ones  at  home  and  keeping  alive  the  tender  ties  which  bind  us  together,  and 
which  is  the  only  hope  or  encouragement  some  of  us  have  to  try  to  live  out  our  sen- 
tences. God  forbid  that  such  a  man  as  J.  M.  Fleming  should  ever  be  allowed  to 
take  the  place  which  he  now  fills  so  well. 

Mr.  Editor,  please  publish  this  as  I  want  the  Western  people  to  know  these  things, 
and  they  know  I  would  not  tell  them  if  it  were  not  so.  I  have  not  written  half  I 
could,  but  this  is  enough  for  the  present. 

Yours  respectfully,  Tom  W.  Tatham. 

Raleigh,  N.  C,  August  28,  1898. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  all  of  what  is  recorded  in  the  Penitentiary  chapter  has  been  going  on,  the 
Democratic  machine  has  been  squalling  ' '  Nigger ' '  with  the  purpose  of  diverting 
the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  SEE? 


53 

CHAPTER  SEVEN. 

A  BIG  GRAB  GAME  OF  THE  MACHINE  NIPPED  IN  THE 

BUD. 

This  chapter  will  give  an  illustration  of  how  members  of  the  Democratic  machine 
made  a  "  grab  "  at  the  Treasury  for  quite  a  snug  little  "pile,"  and  how  a  Populist 
Treasurer  nipped  the  cute  little  scheme  in  the  bud. 

The  general  05rster  laws  provide  that  citizens  of  the  State  may  enter^  oyster  beds 
or  lands  for  the  purpose  of  planting  oysters  thereon,  but  prohibits  citizens  from 
entering  or  taking  exclusive  possession  of  natural  oyster  beds.  About  1889  the 
Democratic  machine  passed  a  law  under  which  citizens  could  purchase  oyster  lands 
or  enter  any  grounds  for  the  immediate  cultivation  of  shell  fish,  etc.  Under  this  law 
a  big  machine  syndicate  went  to  work.  The  syndicate  could  only  enter  ten  acres 
for  itself,  but  it  adopted  the  plan  of  getting  a  great  number  of  people  to  "make 
entries,"  then  assign  their  entries  to  the  syndicate.  It  appears  that  this  did  not 
prove  to  be  as  profitable  a  thing  as  the  machine  wanted.  Then,  in  1893  the  machine 
passed  a  law  by  which  any  citizen  who  had  ever  made  an  entry  of  oyster  lands  or 
beds  might  be  summoned  to  show  that  his  entry  did  not  include  any  part  of  a 
"  natural  oyster  bed."  If  it  did,  the  citizen  could  be  made  to  vacate  his  claim.  It 
was  under  this  law  that  the  grab  was  made,  and  was  done  in  this  way : 

Summons  were  made  out  for  hundreds  of  people  to  come  to  court  and  prove  that 
they  did  not  claim  any  "natural  oyster  beds."  With  each  summons  a  bill  of  costs 
was  made  out  against  the  State  for  payment.  In  Pamlico  county  summons  were 
written  in  the  names  of  694  people,  and  in  Carteret  county  104  people.  The  bill 
of  costs  for  Pamlico  county  amounted  to  $4,851.40,  and  for  Carteret  county 
1794-75-     Total,  $5,611.15. 

The  work  of  writing  the  summons  and  making  out  the  bills  of  cost  was  quietly 
done,  and  nobody  but  the  machine  grabbers  knew  anything  of  the  scheme.  In 
1896  the  Democratic  machine  was  knocked  out  of  power  in  the  State,  and  then  the 
machine  grabbers  ' '  hustled  things  up  "  to  get  their  scheme  through  before  the 
new  administration  should  be  inaugurated  in  January,  1897.  So,  in  December, 
1896,  the  machine  grabbers  presented  their  "  bills  of  cost. ' '  A  Democratic  Auditor 
drew  a  warrant  on  State  Treasurer  Worth  for  these  bills.  The  plum  was  almost  in 
hand,  and  the  grab  scheme  was  about  to  be  a  big  success.  But  there  was  a  snap — 
Treasurer  Worth  (Populist),  held  the  warrants  up,  and  the  scheme  missed  fire  at 
the  last  moment. 

If  care  had  been  taken  to  summons  only  such  parties  as  were  known  to  have 
made  entries,  there  might  have  been  some  point  of  validity  in  the  claims  made 
against  the  State.  But  this  does  not  seem  to  have  been  the  purpose  of  the  grab- 
bers. Their  plan  was  to  pile  up  a  big  "  bill  of  costs,"  collect  the  same  and  thus 
line  their  pockets  with  the  public  money;  and  for  this  purpose  they  "  summoned  " 
nearly  everything  in  sight  and  many  that  were  dead,  and  then  presented  a  bill  of 
costs  with  each  summons  regardless  of  whether  the  summons  had  ever  been  served 
or  not.     The  bill  of  cost  with  each  summons  ranged  from  $4.75  to  $16.65. 

Among  the  names  summoned  were: 

W.  H.  Sawyer  and  wife  are  in  the  list  with  a  "bill  of  costs."  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sawyer  affirm  that  no  summons  were  served  on  them. 


54 

Mr.  C.  M.  Babbitt  and  wife  are  on  the  list  with  a  bill  of  costs.  They  say  they 
never  had  any  kind  of  notice  of  any  summons. 

N.  B.  Augustine  is  on  the  list  with  the  perennial  bill  of  costs,  though  he  has 
been  dead  six  years. 

The  name  of  Fred  Merritt  is  on  the  list.  He  lived  in  Pamlico  county  a  short 
while,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  staff  of  the  News  and  Observer.  The  claimants 
charge  $7.40  for  writing  his  name  on  a  "  bill  of  costs,"  though  he  has  never  heard 
any  summons  in  the  case. 

The  name  of  Noah  West  is  on  the  list.  He  died  in  1892.  The  law  under  which 
the  "  bill  of  costs  "  is  made  out  was  not  enacted  till  1893. 

The  names  of  Sheldon  Sawyer,  Caroline  Sawyer,  Ella  Sawyer  and  Sudy  Sawyer 
are  all  on  the  list  with  a  "bill  of  costs"  for  each,  though  no  summons  was  ever 
served  on  any  one  of  them. 

The  name  of  John  Fenderson  is  on  the  list.     He  has  been  dead  fifteen  years. 

Among  other  names  in  which  summons  were  written  and  not  served,  and  yet 
charged  for  in  the  bill  of  costs,  are  J.  W.  Rice,  J.  W.  Miller,  Jos.  Harper,  Lewis 
Wetherspoon,  Nursy  Wetherspoon,  Christopher  Lewis,  Harriet  Lewis,  James  Mil- 
ler, Nettie  Miller,  M.  A.  Lewis,  Renox  Riggs,  Tempie  Riggs,  Benj.  McLane,  Esther 
McLane,  R.  Johnson,  A.  Johnson,  Jane  Fenderson,  R.  D.  McCotter  (killed  in  1892), 
J.  T.  Lincoln. 

SOME  SAMPLE  LETTERS. 

A  number  of  letters  were  received  from  parties  who  were  told  that  summons  had 
been  written  in  their  name  and  "bill  of  costs"  charged,  and  from  among  these 
samples  are  presented: 

Bayboro,  N.  C,  February  24,  1898. 
Hon.   W.  H.   Worth,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Dear  Sir: — We  are  informed  and  believe  that  our  names  appear  among  the  list 
of  oyster  cases  in  Pamlico  county,  N.  C.  If  such  be  the  case,  and  our  names  are 
there,  we  have  this  to  sav  :  "We  are  all  totally  ignorant  of  the  same.  We  have 
never  made  or  attempted  to  make  an  entry  upon  any  oyster  grounds,  and  we  are 
in  no  way  a  party  to  such  claims." 

We  also  see  in  the  list  names  of  people  whom  we  know  to  have  been  dead  from 
six  to  fifteen  years,  as  well  as  others  who  live  in  Beaufort,  Craven,  Onslow  and 
Jones  counties. 

We  can  furnish  you  with  affidavits  from  the  best  people  of  our  county  corroborat- 
ing our  statement,  if  you  should  desire  them. 

(Signed),  D.  W.  Simmons, 

Elijah  Simmons, 
Pickett  Gibbs, 
Mary  Gibbs, 
Samuel  Sanders, 
Pleasant  Sanders, 
Clinton  D.  Purgan,. 
Eliza  Pearson, 
Neham  Butters, 
Pickett  Sanders, 
Julia  Sanders. 

Bayboro,  N.  C,  February  25,  1898. 
Hon.   W.  H.   Worth,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Dear  Sir: — I  see  that  my  name  appears 'as  one  of  those  who  entered  oyster 
grounds  in  this,  Pamlico  county.  I  just  want  to  say  that  if  all  the  names  that  you 
have  came  there  as  my  name  did,  the  whole  thing  is  a  fraud;  for  I  never  heard  of 
such  a  thing  until  I  saw  it  in  the  paper.  I  also  see  the  name  of  John  Fenderson 
as  one  who  had  entered  oyster  grounds.  Now,  sir,  I  know  that  that  man  has  been 
dead  for  fifteen  years,  and  lots  of  other  names  of  people  I  see  in  the  paper  who  I 


55 

know  were  dead  long  before  1893.  I  hope  there  may  be  some  way  to  investigate 
this  whole  thing.  We  people  down  here  feel  proud  of  the  stand  you  have  taken  in 
this  matter.  Yours,  very  truly, 

E.  Butters. 

Bayboro,  N.  C,  Feb.  25,  1898. 
Hon.   W.  H.   Worth,  Raleigh,  N.  C: 

Dear  Sir: — I  see  in  the  last  week's  Caucasian  a  list  of  names  purporting  to  be 
a  list  of  the  oyster  cases  in  this,  Pamlico  county.  I  see  also  that  my  name  appears 
in  the  list.  This  is  to  say  that  I  never  made  any  entry  for  oyster  grounds  nor  ever 
gave  any  one  a  right  to  do  so;  and  further,  I  never  heard  that  such  a  case  existed 
in  our  county.  In  fact,  if  there  are  papers  showing  that  I  had  such  a  case,  it  is 
forgery  and  fraud  from  beginning  to  end. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Wm.  E.  Si<ade. 

A  letter  from  a  well  known  citizen  of  Pamlico  county  states  that  he  found,  after 
consultation  with  the  ex-Sheriff  (for  1896),  that  not  over  a  third  of  the  number  of 
summons  were  ever  served.  In  fact,  concerning  some  of  the  summons,  the  Sheriff 
and  Deputy  Sheriff  are  reported  as  saying  that  they  simply  ' '  threw  them  under  the 
table,"  but  the  "  bill  of  costs"  for  each  and  ever}'  summons  is  presented  to  the 
State  for  payment. 

All  the  above  information  was  voluntary. 

An  official  investigation  emphasizes  and  confims  the  fraudulent  character  of  the 
claim  made  against  the  State  in  the  ' '  bill  of  costs. ' '  More  than  one  hundred  persons 
in  addition  to  those  above,  in  whose  names  summons  were  written  and  ' '  costs ' ' 
charged,  testify  that  they  never  made  an  entry  and  that  no  summons  was  served 
on  them.  These  names  are  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  State  Treasurer,  and  may  be 
seen  by  any  applicant.  A  considerable  list  of  names  of  individuals  appears  who 
have  been  dead  several  years.  The  Sheriffs  returned  at  least  fifty- eight  names  as 
' '  not  in  county, ' '  yet  the  bills  of  cost  for  these  were  presented.  Many  of  the  sum- 
mons were  sent  to  the  Sheriff  of  Craven  county  to  be  served.  He  says  he  does  not 
know  how  many,  and  further  says  that  he  was  advised  that  he  was  not  bound  to 
serve  them  without  his  fee  and  he  left  them  lying  around  in  his  office.  But  the 
"  bill  of  costs  "  was  claimed  from  the  State  just  as  though  they  had  been  served. 

Three  hundred  and  thirty-two  summons  were  found  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  Pamlico  county  and  seventy  in  the  Clerk's  office  of  Carteret 
county.  These  show  no  evidence  of  ever  having  gone  into  the  hands  of  the  Sheriff 
at  any  time.  In  fact  they  appear  to  have  been  written  out  by  the  Clerk's  and 
placed  in  the  files  of  papers — never  having  been  issued  at  all.  Yet  the  "bill  of 
costs  "  in  each  case  was  presented  to  the  State  by  the  machine  grabbers  for  pay- 
ment, and  but  for  the  watchfulness  of  a  Populist  Treasurer  they  would  have  been 
paid. 

More  particulars  could  be  given,  but  the  foregoing  are  sufficient  to  illustrate 
clearly  the  attempted  grab,  and  they  show  also  the  character  of  some  grabs  that  can 
happen  under  a  Democratic  machine  regime.  It  must  be  remembered  that  a  Demo- 
cratic Auditor  drew  a  warrant,  and  the  money  would  now  be  in  the  pockets  of 
Democratic  machine  heelers  if  a  Populist  Treasurer  had  not  stopped  it.  The  Dem- 
ocratic machine  press  ferociously  assailed  Treasurer  Worth  for  refusing  to  pay  the 
warrants,  and  said  he  ought  to  be  impeached,  and  this  same  machine  would  doubt- 
less impeach  him  if  it  had  the  power  to  pass  sentence  on  him. 

And  now  it  is  of  some  importance  to  note  that  the  principal  attorneys  who 
.brought  up  these  big  "bills  of  costs  "  (15,611.15)  and  tried  to  secure  their  payment 
are: 


56 

F.  M.  Simmons,  State  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  machine. 

W.  R.  Allen,  Democratic  machine  nominee  for  the  Legislature  from  Wayne 
county. 

There  will  be  a  "  glorious ' '  revel  and  riot  in  paying  these  bills  if  such  men  as 
these  ever  get  control  of  the  State  again. 

The  ' '  bill  of  costs ' '  has  not  yet  been  paid  by  the  State,  though  repeated  de- 
mands for  it  have  been  made  on  the  present  administration.  It  never  will  be  paid 
until  the  Democratic  machine  is  put  in  power  again,  and  then  not  only  this  "bill 
of  costs ' '  will  be  paid ,  but  there  will  be  a  return  to  the  policy  of  pillage  and  plun- 
der which  is  so  plainly  shown  by  this  pamphlet  to  exist  under  Democratic  machine 
government. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  the  Democratic  machine  was  squalling  ' '  nigger ' ' 
with  the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  See;  ? 


57 


CHAPTER  EIGHT. 

ANOTHER  LITTLE  GRAB  GAME  NEATLY  NIPPED. 

The  election  of  1894  and  the  Legislature  of  1895  foretold  the  doom  of  the  Demo- 
cratic machine  in  this  State,  but  while  there  was  some  power  left  in  it,  it  attempted 
to  "fix,"  everything  in  sight  before  all  its  power  was  everlastingly  gone.  The 
"  midnight  99-year  lease  "  is  one  illustration  of  what  it  proceeded  to  do.  It  made 
another  grab  for  the  Atlantic  and  North  Carolina  Railroad,  but  did  not  make  the 
attempt  at  midnight,  and  the  representatives  of  the  people  nipped  the  game. 

The  capital  stock  of  the  Atlantic  and  North  Carolina  Railroad  is  one  million  and 
eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($1, 800,000).  The  State  owns  $1,266,000  of  this 
stock.  'The  road  has,  for  the  past  three  years,  paid  a  dividend  of  two  per  cent.,  and 
the  State's  share  of  this  dividend  has  been  $25,332  per  year.  The  machine  tried  to 
lease  this  road  to  a  syndicate  for  a  term  of  forty  years,  which  syndicate  was  to  pay 
a  dividend  on  the  capital  stock  of  one  and  one-half  per  cent,  for  the  first  ten  years. 
Under  this  agreement  the  State's  share  of  the  dividend  would  have  been  $18,990,  a 
loss  of  $6,342  a  year  for  ten  years,  making  a  total  loss  to  the  State  for  that  period  of 
time  of  sixty-three  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  ($63,420),  and  as  the 
road  was  easily  making  two  per  cent. ,  it  is  clear  that  this  sixty -three  thousand  dol- 
lars would  have  gone  into  the  pockets  of  the  syndicate. 

During  the  next  ten  years  the  sydicate  was  to  pay  two  per  cent,  dividend.  This 
would  have  given  the  State  no  more  than  it  was  already  receiving,  yet  there  would 
have  been  a  period  of  twenty  years  in  which  population  would  have  increased,  the 
country  developed,  and  all  lines  of  business  greatly  augmented.  The  road  will 
probably  be  paying  four  or  five  per  cent,  by  that  time,  but  under  this  deal  the 
State's  loss  would  have  been  over  sixty -three  thousand  dollars.  For  the  third  ten 
years  the  syndicate  was  to  pay  two  and  one-half  per  cent.,  and  for  the  last  ten  years 
of  the  forty,  the  syndicate  was  to  pay  three  per  cent. 

Ten  years  ago  the  road  had  never  paid  a  cent  of  dividend.  To-day,  ten  years 
later,  it  is  paying  two  per  cent,  regularly.  Ten  years  from  pow  it  will,  in  all 
probability,  pay  four  per  cent.,  and  yet  the  machine  wanted  to  lease,  it  to  the  syndi- 
cate for  one  and  one-half  per  cent.  Forty  37ears  from  now  it  must  easily  pay  six 
per  cent.,  for  the  country  through  which  it  runs  is  rapidly  developing,  and  promises 
to  be  a  great  and  progressive  section  of  the  State  ;  yet  the  machine  wanted  to  make 
a  deal  by  which  the  syndicate  could  lease  the  road  at  three  per  cent,  forty  years 
in  advance. 

This  is  another  one  of  the  neat  little  schemes  which  the  Democratic  machine 
has  in  ' '  soak, ' '  and  one  it  will  put  into  operation  when  the  people  elect  it  to  power 
again.  The  game  was  temporarily  stopped  by  a  restraining  order  from  Judge 
Robinson,  and  the  Legislature  of  1897  stopped  it  altogether. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  such  schemes  as  this  for  turning  streams  of  money  into  a  syndicate's 
pocket  was  going  on,  the  Democratic  machine  was  squalling  "nigger,"  with  the 
purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 


58 

CHAPTER  NINE. 

DEMOCRATIC  DISTORTIONS  ABOUT  INCREASE  OF  THE 

STATE'S  EXPENDITURES. 

\ 

It  is  often  possible  to  make  a  statement  of  fact  in  such  a  way  as  to  distort  the 
truth  and  leave  a  totally  false  impression,  and  this  is  one  of  the  schemes  being 
practiced  by  Democratic  speakers  and  the  Democratic  machine  press.  Take  an 
illustration.  Suppose  a  man  begins  a  business.  Let  us  say  that  the  expense  of 
the  business  for  the  first  year  is  ten  thousand  dollars  ;  the  business  grows,  and 
the  second  year  the  expense  is  fifteen  thousand  dollars  ;  the  third  year  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  and  so  on.  But  the  business  grows  better  and  grows  more  profit- 
able all  the  while,  and  the  statement  that  the  expense  was  more  during  the  third 
year  than  during  the  first  year  might  simpty  prove  that  the  business  was  growing 
in  value  and  acquiring  stability  and  solidarity.  Yet,  an  assertion  of  an  increase 
in  expenses  could  be  made  in  such  a  way  as  to  mislead  anyone  who  did  not  inves- 
tigate the  business  closely. 

Democratic  campaigners  are  announcing  from  the  stump  that  during  the  years 
1895,  1896  and  1897  (the  years  during  which  the  Democratic  party  have  had  no 
control  of  the  Legislature),  the  expenses  of  the  State  have  been  greater  than  for 
any  three  years  during  which  the  Democratic  party  did  control  the  Legislature  and 
the  State,  and  then  they  proceed  to  cry  extravagance,  mismanagement,  bank- 
ruptcy and  everything  else. 

Now  let  this  statement  be  carefully  examined.  For  the  years  1895,  1896,  1897 — 
anti-Democratic  years — the  combined  expenditures  of  the  State  have  been  $380,000 
more  than  for  the  years  1892,  1893,  1894 — three  Democratic  years.  Well,  for  the 
years  1892,  1893,  1894,  which  were  Democratic  years — the  combined  expenditures 
were  $3,573,201  ;  and  for  the  years  1886,  1887,  188S,  which  were  Democratic 
years,  the  combined  expenses  were  $2,897,483.  So  it  appears  that  tor  one  recent 
period  of  three  consecutive  Democratic  years,  the  expenditures  of  the  State  were 
$675,718  more  than  for  another  recent  period  of  three  consecutive  Democratic 
years.  When  this  happened  did  the  Democratic  campaigners  go  around  the  State 
whooping  "extravagance,  mismanagement,  bankruptcy  and  everything  else?" 
No,  they  simply  cried  "  nigger."  Nobody  was  ever  informed  by  these  Democratic 
campaigners  as  to  what  was  going  on  in  connection  with  the  State's  affairs.  Now 
let  us  take  further  illustrations  : 

Combined  expenditures  1883,  1884,  188.5 • $2,607,030 

Combined  expenditures  1886,  1887,  1888 2,897,483 

Combined  expenditures  1889,  1890,  1891 3,289,434 

Combined  expenditures  1892,  1893,  1894 3,573,201 

The  above  four  periods  of  three  years  each,  during  all  of  which  time  the  Demo- 
cratic party  was  in  control  of  the  State,  show  a  steady  increase  in  expenditures, 
the  increase  before  the  first  and  last  period  being  $966,171.  And  yet  when  an 
anti-Democratic  Legislature  authorizes  an  increased  expenditure  of  $380,000  for 
three  years,  these  Democratic,  campaigners  squall  themselves  hoarse,  tear  their 
hair,  foam  at  the  mouth,  and  would  make  the  people  believe  the  State  is  being 


59 

run  into  wreck  and  ruin.  Is  not  the  hypocrisy  and  rascality  of  their  efforts 
apparent  ?  Does  this  not  further  show  that  their  hope  is  to  mislead  and  deceive 
the  people  by  leaving  upon  them  a  false  impression  ? 

It  may  not  have  been  so  under  Democratic  rule,  but  under  anti-Democratic  ad- 
ministration the  increase  of  expenditures  parallels  the  illustration  of  the  business 
man  whose  expenses  grow  as  his  business  grows  and  becomes  more  thoroughly  es- 
tablished and  solid.  With  the  increase  of  population  comes  the  necessary  increase 
of  public  expenditures. 

The  increase  of  expenditures  for  the  last  three  years  is  practically  accounted  for 
in  four  items. 

First,  The  fact  that  the  years  1895,  1896  and  1897  (anti-Democratic  legislative 
years)  include  the  expenses  of  Two  SESSIONS  of  the  General  Assembly,  amounting 
to  about  $140,000,  while  the  years  1892,  1893  and  1894  (Democratic  legislative 
years)  include  the  expenses  of  only  one  session  of  the  General  Assembly. 

Second,  The  amount  of  $103,000  received  from  the  United  States  Government  as 
appropriations  to  the  A.  and  M.  College  and  North  Carolina  Experiment  Station, 
and  paid  out  to  those  institutions.  This  money  had  been  received  for  some  years 
under  Democratic  regime,  but  it  was  not  till  1895  that  any  official  record  was  made 
of  its  receipt  or  expenditure. 

Third,  Interest  on  the  State  debt  $38,805.54.  The  interest  is  paid  as  coupons 
from  State  bonds  are  presented  at  the  Treasury,  and  the  coupons  presented  during 
1895,  1896  and  1897  amounted  to  $38,805.54  more  than  what  was  presented  in  1892, 
1893  and  1894. 

Four,  In  the  increased  appropriations  made  for  the  public  institutions  of  the 
State  for  1895,  1896  and  1897,  such  as  the  North  Carolina  Insane  Asylum  at  Ral- 
eigh, the  State  Hospital  at  Morganton,  the  Eastern  Hospital  for  the  colored  race  at 
Goldsboro,  the  State  Institutions  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  and  the  Blind  at  Morganton 
and  Raleigh,  the  North  Carolina  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Mechanic  Arts  at 
Raleigh,  the  Colored  A.  and  M.  College  at  Greensboro,  the  State  University,  the 
State  Normal  and  Industrial  College  for  women  at  Greensboro  and  like  purposes. 
The  public  demand  on  these  institutions  is  continually  on  the  increase.  If  these 
demands  are  met  there  is  an  unavoidable  necessity  for  an  increase  of  expenditure". 
Let  these  sneaking,  hypocritical,  lying  Democratic  campaigners  ask  the  heads  of 
these  institutions  if  the  appropriations  for  them  are  extravagant  and  unnecessary . 
Let  them  ask  Prof.  Alderman  (Democrat),  President  of  the  State  University,  if  the 
appropriation  is  too  large.  Let  them  ask  Prof.  Mclver  (Democrat),  President  of 
the  State  Normal  and  Industrial  College,  if  the  State  is  too  liberal  or  extravagant 
toward  that  institution.  Let  them  ask  Mr.  John  E.  Ray  (Democrat),  Principal  of 
the  Institution  for  the  Blind,  if  the  State  gives  that  institution  more  than  it  needs. 
Let  them  ask  Prof.  Goodwin  (Democrat),  Principal  of  the  State  School  for  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb,  if  that  institution  gets  more  of  the  public  fund  than  it  knows 
what  to  do  with.  Wonder  if  President  Holladay  (Democrat),  of  the  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  College,  thinks  his  school  is  suffering  from  a  plethora  of  public 
cash.  Question  Dr.  Kirby  (Democrat),  of  the  Raleigh  Insane  Asylum.  Question  Dr. 
Murphy  (Democrat),  of  the  Morganton  Hospital,  etc.,  etc.  Are  they  crying  extra- 
vagance of  appropriations  and  useless  expenditure  of  the  public  fund  ? 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  appropriations  made  for  the  various  public  State  institutions 
by  the  Legislatures  of  1895  and  1897  were  made  on  the  recommendations  of  leading 
Democrats  who  were  found  at  the  heads  of  these  institutions,  and  who  are  THERE 
YET.     Would  they  ask  the  State  for  more  than  was  necessary  for  the  proper  care 


6o 

and  sustenance  of  the  institutions  under  their  care  ?  If  so,  are  they  fit  to  remain 
at  the  heads  of  these  institutions  ?  Answer  this  question,  oh  ye  lying  Democratic 
campaigners! 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  these  Democrats,  to  whom  these  institutions  are  in- 
trusted, as  to  capacity,  etc.,  they  appear  to  be  sadly  wanting  in  the  matters  of  can- 
dor and  courageous  manhood.  They  come  before  the  Legislature.  They  make 
their  wants  known  and  submit  their  official  recommendations.  These  recommen- 
dations are  approved  and  what  they  want  in  the  way  of  appropriations  is  granted. 
Then,  when  the  contemptible,  mendacious,  lying  press  of  their  political  party 
raises  the  cry  of  extravagance,  they  sit  mum,  quiet  and  unresponsive,  clearly  show- 
ing that  they  have  made  recommendations  which  they  cannot  defend,  or  that  they 
have  not  the  courage  to  denounce  and  condemn  the  partisan  falsifying  of  that 
press.  And  it  may  as  well  be  said  here  and  now  that  such  men  are  emphatically 
marked  for  future  consideration. 

Special  attention  should  be  given  by  the  people  to  a  circumstance  connected 
with  the  increase  in  expenditures.  If  expenses  have  increased,  the  receipts 
must  necessarily  have  increased.  From  whence  came  the  receipts  which 
have  made  it  possible  to  spend  $380,000  more  during  the  past  three  years 
than  for  any  other  period  of  three  years?  The  Democratic  machine  did 
not  leave  this  money  in  the  treasury,  and  the  treasury  balance  has  been 
about  the  same  for  three  years  past.  There  has  been  no  increase  of  taxes, 
and  nobody  has  given  the  State  anything.  Where  did  this  money  come 
from  ?  It  was  realized  by  attention  to  public  business.  The  State  officials  now 
managing  public  affairs  are  performing  their  duty  more  effectively  than  it  has  been 
done  for  twenty  years.  They  are  simply  collecting  the  taxes  as  imposed,  and  this 
attention  to  business  and  this  performance  of  duty  have  enabled  the  State  to  meet 
the  necessary  increase  of  expenditures — to  "spend  $ 380,000  more"  for  public 
institutions  and  public  benefit,  and  yet  leave  the  handsome  balance  of  about 
$100,000  in  the  treasury — all  without  increase  OF  Taxes. 

And  now  note  carefully: 

While  this  vast  improvement  is  going  on  in  the  management  of  the  various  de- 
partments of  the  State,  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "  Nigger  "  with  the 
purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  you  SEE? 


6i 


CHAPTER    TEN. 

THE   STATE    RECOVERING  FROM   DEMOCRATIC  BLIGHT 

AND    BLAST. 

It  has  been  reported  to  the  State  Executive  Committee  of  the  People's  Party 
that  certain  Democratic  speakers  -are  strenuously  trying  to  keep  pace  with  the 
Democratic  machine  press  in  making  misrepresentations  and  lying  to  the  people 
concerning  the  present  State  administration  and  various  conditions  which  actually 
exist.  For  example,  a  Democratic  speaker  of  Rowan  county,  who  has  been  sup- 
posed to  have  some  intelligence,  is  said  to  have  made  a  declaration,  on  or  about 
the  20th  of  August,  that  the  bonds  of  the  State  were  worth  nothing— that  they 
were  valueless,  and  that  nobody  wanted  them  or  would  have  them.  When 
that  speaker  made  this  statement,  buyers  were  offering  103  for  North  Carolina  4  per 
cent,  bonds  in  New  York,  and  126  for  6  per  cent,  bonds,  and  not  a  man  who  owned 
any  of  the  bonds  anywhere  would  sell  them  for  the  price  offered.  This  is  another 
instance  of  how  hopeless  the  Democratic  machine  and  its  touters  are  of  winning 
the  confidence  and  support  of  the  people  by  telling  the  truth,  and  of  the  hopeless 
and  futile  effort  they  are  making  to  deceive  the  few  people  who  give  them  a  hear- 
ing. Neither  the  people  in  the  State  nor  the  people  outside  of  the  State  can  be 
misled  by  any  such  procedure  as  this.  The  various  State  departments  now  fre- 
quently receive  letters  from  investors  in  different  parts  of  the  country  congratu- 
lating them  on  the  splendid  showing  the  State  is  making,  and  expressing  gratifi- 
cation and  satisfaction  at  the  safety  of  such  securities  as  North  Carolina  State 
bonds.     Here  is  a  sample  letter  of  this  character: 

New  York,  July  13th,  1898. 
Hon.  State  Auditor  of  North  Carolina,  Raleigh: 

Dear  Sir: — I  bought,  many  years  since,  some  of  the  first  issues  of  your  State  4 
per  cent,  bonds  that  mature  in  1910,  at  very  much  lower  rates  than  they  are  now 
selling  at,  all  of  which  I  now  hold  as  a  permanent  investment,  and  I  consider 
them  equally  as  good  and  safe  to  hold  as  the  U.  S.  bonds.  The  coupons  on  them 
have  always  been  promptly  paid,  and  a  fexv  days  since  I  bought  a  few  more  of  your 
State  4s  at  108,  and  also  ten  thousand  of  your  State  6  per  cents,  which  mature  in 
1919,  at  129^,  which  shows  a  wonderful  improvement  in  the  credit  and  standing  of 
your  State.     I  am,  very  truly, 

A.  B.  Burbank, 
140,  Broadway  Safe  Deposit  Company,  New  York  City. 

Now,  what  would  that  lying  Rowan  county  Democratic  speaker  have  replied  to 
such  a  letter  as  this  ?  Would  he  have  said  that  this  investor  had  made  a  mistake 
in  his  investment  ?  Would  he  have  told  Mr.  Burbank  that  the  credit  of  the  State 
was  no  good,  that  her  bonds  were  worthless,  and  that  nobody  wanted  them  ?  If  he 
would  not  have  so  replied,  why  does  he  want  to  lie  to  the  people  at  home  who 
hear  him  talk  about  it  ? 

It  may  interest  those  who  scan  these  pages  to  know  just  what  kind  of  a  reply 
Mr.  Burbank  did  receive.     Here  it  is: 

North  Carolina, 

Auditor's  Department, 

Raleigh,  July  16th,  1898. 
Mr.  A.  B.  Burbank,  Safe  Deposit  Company,  New  York: 

Dear  Sir: — This  is  to  tender  you  an  expression  of  thanks  for  the  kind  things 
said  of  my  State  in  your  letter  of  July  13th.     So  far  as  matters  human  can  be  cer- 


62 

tain ,  it  is  certain  that  the  investments  made  by  you  in  the  securities  of  this  State 
are  as  good  as  the  best  that  can  be  established.  You  can  rest  upon  the  assurance 
that  the  administration  of  State  affairs  is  now  in  the  hands  of  an  exceedingly  earn- 
est, painstaking  and  conscientious  set  of  men,  who  regard  the  honor  of  the  State 
above  all  things ;  and  their  administration  is  directed  to  the  end  that  the  credit  of 
the  State  shall  be  maintained  on  an  unqestionabje  basis.  For  the  past  twelve 
months  there  has  been  a  gratifying  increase  in  the  receipts  of  the  State's  revenue, 
a  marked  increase  in  the  valuation  of  taxable  property,  and  an  enthusing  increase 
in  business  investments — all  going  to  show  the  strengthening  of  the  State's  re- 
sources, and  hence,  a  strengthening  of  her  power  to  preserve  her  credit  and  meet 
her  obligations.  Very  respectfully, 

Hai,  W.  Ay^r,  State  Auditor. 

Now  the  reader  may  decide  for  himself  as  to  the  worth  and  character  of  two 
citizens — one  who  seeks  to  blast  the  State's  credit  and  character,  or  one  who  recites 
iacts  and  declares  an  intention  and  purpose  of  seeing  that  her  credit  and  character 
shall  always  be  upheld  and  sustained. 

When  non-residents  ascertain  facts,  and  on  the  strength  of  these  facts  seek  the 
State  bonds  as  a  safe  investment,  why  should  the  people  in  the  State  be  subjected 
to  such  wild  and  lying  statements  as  the  Rowan  coimty  Democratic  speaker  is 
reported  to  have  made? 

Plain  and  easily  accessible  figures  show  that  the  State  is  making  unprecedented 
progress,  that  it  is  rapidly  recovering  from  the  disastrous  blow  given  it  and  the 
blight  put  upon  it  by  a  National  and  State  Democratic  administration.  This 
terrific  blight  began  with  the  year  in  which  Democrat  Cleveland  was  elected  Pres- 
ident, the  same  year  in  which  the  last  Democratic  machine  administration,  suffered 
by  this  State,  was  elected  to  power.  With  the  advent  of  that  power,  and  its 
obstructive  and  restrictive  policy,  a  depression  fell  over  the  State  and  people. 
Confidence  and  trust  wavered  and  shook.  Business  trembled,  tottered  and  crashed, 
and  during  a  period  of  six  years,  1891-1896,  the  taxable  value  of  real  and  personal 
property  in  North  Carolina  decreased  Twei/vE  mixtion  doi,i,ars  ($12,000,000). 
Panic  and  ruin  stalked  abroad  in  the  land,  and  for  the  time  paralyzed  the  efforts 
and  energies  of  the  people.  But  hope  dawned  again  in  the  latter  part  of  1896, 
when  the  Democratic  incubus  was  hurled  away,  and  in  1897,  the  first  year  of  the 
present  State  administration,  there  was  a  recovery  of  effort  and  energy,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  several  years  the  property  and  work  of  the  people  showed  an  increase 
in  value.  The  returns  made  by  the  various  counties  of  taxable  values  in  1897 
showed  an  increase  of  about  four  mixtion  doi^ars  ($4,000,000)  over  the  returns 
of  1896.  These  returns  will  be  stated  in  the  Auditor's  Report  for  1898,  and,  together 
with  the  advance  in  values  of  railroad  property,  will  show  a  total  increase  of 
taxable  values  of  more,  than  eight  mixtion  dollars.  And  yet  the  Democratic 
machine  impudently  and  mendaciously  goes  before  the  people  of  North  Carolina 
with  a  platform, which  deprecates  the  "  deplorable  conditions  "  of  the  State.  Nor 
is  this  all  of  this  matter.  The  overwhelming  defeat  of  the  Democratic  machine  in 
1896  gave  hope  and  courage  to  the  business  element  generally.  Confidence  has 
been  restored,  and  the  spirit  of  enterprise  is  more  active  than  ever  before  in  the 
history  of  the  State.  There  are  visible  and  tangible  evidences  which  forcibly 
attest  this  statement,  but  there  is  also  an  official  record  which  gives  indisputable 
documentary  proof  of  the  fact.  The  Secretary  of  State  is  authorized  by  law  to  grant 
charters  to  business  enterprises  of  probity  and  character,  and  the  records  of  his 
office  declare  the  truth  of  what  has  been  presented  above  with  irresistible  eloquence. 
Here  is  the  record  of  that  Department  from  1894  to  date  : 


,63 

1894,  business  enterprises  chartered 10 r 

1895,  business  enterprises  chartered 138 

1896,  business  enterprises  chartered 149 

1897,  business  enterprises  chartered 235 

1898,  to  August  30,  business  enterprises  chartered  . .  .  124 

A  most  significant  fact  in  connection  with  these  figures  is  that  a  large  number  of 
well-known  business  men  from  other  States  are  participants  in  these  ventures,  but 
by  far  the  larger  number  of  the  promoters  are  well-known,  substantial  and  reliable 
citizens  of  North  Carolina;  and  these  facts  show  that  the  Democratic  machine  and 
its  defaming,  lying  press  have  totally  failed  to  convince  people,  either  at  home  or 
abroad,  that  the  reports  sent  out  are  worth  consideration  or  notice.  The  enthusing 
and  exhilarating  truth  is  that  the  "  Old  North  State,"  freed  from  the  selfish,  nar- 
row, bigoted  and  degrading  shackles  of  the  Democratic  machine,  is  bounding  for- 
ward with  the  elasticity  of  strong,  vigorous  youth;  is  convincing  all  onlookers  and 
spectators  that  the  legitimate  and  valid  interests  of  every  individual  or  organized 
body  are  intensely  respected  and  held  sacred,  and  that  an  open  and  cordial  invita- 
tion is  extended  to  all  honest  men  who  desire  to  do  so  to  make  their  home  within 
its  borders,  with  assurances  that  their  rights,  their  opinions  and  their  political 
liberties  shall  have  the  noblest  and  best  protection  that  an  honest,  loyal  and  brave 
people  can  give.  For  twenty  years  prior  to  1897,  no  such  assurance  as  this  could 
have  been  honestly  given. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  all  this  advance  and  activity  is  going  on  in  the  commercial  and  material 
interests  of  the  State,  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "  Nigger,"  with  the 
purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  you  SEE?  » 


64 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN. 


INCREASE  OF  PUBLIC  REVENUE. 

The  efficiency  and  competency  of  the  present  State  administration  resulted  in  the 
collection  of  $33,000  more  for  the  public  fund  in  1897  than  was  collected  in  1896 
under  the  Democratic  regime.  This  was  accomplished  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that 
the  taxable  value  of  real  and  personal  property  on  which  taxes  were  collectible  in 
1897  was  one  million  dollars  less  than  the  value  of  the  same  kind  of  property  on 
which  taxes  were  collectible  for  1896.  It  is  true  that  the  taxable  value  of  railroad, 
telegraph  and  steamboat  property  was  increased  in  value  to  the  extent  of  two  mil- 
lion and  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($2,500,000),  thus  giving  a  total  net  increase 
in  the  value  of  taxable  property  of  one  million  and  five  hundred  thousand  dollars 
($1,500,000)  in  round  numbers.  But  this  increase  in  value  afforded  an  increase  in 
revenue  of  only  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  ($2,250).  Where  did 
the  other  thirty-one  thousand  dollars  ($31,000)  come  from?  •  • 

It  was  realized  by  efficient  attention  to  official  business.  The  public  officers 
insisted  and  required  that  all  parties  subject  to  the  various  license  taxes  imposed 
by  the  State  should  pay  those  taxes,,  and  while  some  changes  in  the  Revenue  Taw 
of  1897  caused  a  considerable  decrease  of  receipts  from  some  sources,  the  net 
increase  of  public  receipts  was  as  above  stated.  This  is  accounted  for  by  the 
increase  of  license  taxes  charged  by  the  State  Auditor  and  collected  by  the  State 
Treasurer  from  various  corporations,  etc.,  and  from  the  increase  of  fees  and  licenses 
collected  and  reported  monthly  by  the  Secretary  of  State. 

The  Democratic  machine  may  try  to  explain  away  this  handsome  showing  by 
claiming  that  there  has  been  an  increase  in  the  lines  of  taxable  business  from  which 
these  receipts  were  derived.  Well,  let  them  take  either  horn  of  the  dilemma  the 
showing  puts  them  on.  The  increase  is  due  either  to  superior  efficiency  and  com- 
petency of  public  officials,  or  to  an  increase  of  business. 

If  to  the  first,  it  shows  the  great  advantage  to  the  State  of  an  anti- Democratic 
administration  over  a  Democratic  administration.  If  to  the  latter,  it  shows  no  less 
forcibly  that  business  conditions  in  the  State  are  much  more  favorable  under  an 
anti-Democratic  administration  than  under  a  Democratic  administration.  . 

And  now  note  carefully. 

The  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "Nigger"  with  the  purpose  of  diverting 
the  attention  of  the  people  from  either  horn  of  the  dilemma  the  machine  is  on. 

Do  You  SEE? 


65 

CHAPTER  TWELVE. 

COMPARISON  OF  CRIMINAL  STATISTICS. 

One  of  the  lowest,  meanest  and  most  malignant  efforts  of  the  Democratic  ma- 
chine press,  during  the  past  two  years,  has  been  to  attribute  any  crime  that  may 
have  occurred  in  North  Carolina  to  the  fact  that  the  machine  had  been  hurled  from 
power.  It  was  a  desperate  effort  to  invent  a  basis  on  which  to  circulate  lies.  But 
like  all  of  the  infamous  fabrications  of  that  press,  its  effort  flies  back  and  gives  it 
a  terrific  slap  in  the  face,  as  shown  by  reliable  statistics. 

The  New  Orleans  Times-Democrat,  the  leading  machine  daily  paper  of  the  South, 
prints  the  following  record  as  being  as  nearly  correct  as  a  compilation  of  reports 
can  make  it: 

Here  are  the  numbers  of  lynchings  in  the  United  States  for  the  last  thirteen  years; 


188s.., 

.  184 

1SS9... 

.  176 

1892 . . , 

■  235 

1895  ... 

.  .  171 

1886  .. 

.  138 

1890  . . 

.  127 

1893  .. 

.  200 

1896. . 

.  .  131 

1887 . . . 

.  122 

1891... 

.  192 

1894.. 

. .  190 

1897.. 

. .  166 

1888.., 

, .  142 

They  reached  their  highest  point,  it  will  be  observed,  in  1892,  when  they  num- 
bered 235,  and  have  since  that  date  been  happily  on  the  downgrade. 

The  Chicago  Tribune,  which  "keeps  tab"  of  these  extra  legal  processes  of 
executions,  distributed  the  166  lynchings  which  took  place  during  the  last  twelve 
months  among  the  States  and  Territories  as  follows  : 

Alabama 19         Mississippi 16  California  .......  1 

Arizona   2          Missouri 4  Illinois 1 

Arkansas 11  South  Carolina.    .  6  Indiana 5 

Florida I2         Tennessee 7  Nevada   2 

Georgia 14         Texas 25  Ohio   1 

Kentucky 7          Virginia 5  South  Dakota   ...  2 

Louisiana   14  North  Carolina ...  1  North  Dakota  ...  3 

Oklahoma 2          Alaska 3  Washington  2 

Maryland   1 

Of  the  t66  lynchings  in  1897;  140  were  in  the  Southern  and  26  in  the  Northern 
States.  Of  the  166  persons  lynched  122  were  negroes,  39  were  whites,  and  5  were 
Indians.  < 

The  alleged  crimes  for  which  the  victims  were  lynched  were  as  follows:  Race 
prejudice,  4;  arson,  5;  murder,  69;  robbery,  18;  assaults,  39;  writing  insulting 
letters,  1;  outlawry,  3;  by  white  caps,  4;  burglary,  6;  elopement,  2;  furnishing 
information,  3;  unknown  offences,  5;  train  wrecking,  1;  mistaken  identity,  1;  in- 
sults, ] ;  concealing  a  murder,  1 ;  disobedience  of  regulations,  r ;  running  quaran- 
tine, 1. 

One  lynching,  it  -will  be  observed,  was  a  clear  and  admitted  case  of  mistaken 
identity,  and  it  would  not  be  astonishing  if  a  considerable  number  of  other  cases  of 
mistaken  identity  went  to  make  up  the  list. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  report  that  the  States  of  Alabama,  Arkansas,  Florida, 
Georgia,  Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Texas,  all  of  which  have  been  controlled  for 
the  past  thirteen  years  by  the  general  Democratic  machine— the  party  of  GOOD 
government  ! — are  the  States  in  which  riot,  crime  and  lawless  anarchy  prevail  to 
the  greatest  extent. 

And  now  note  carefully: 

While  all  this  is  going  on  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "Nigger,"  with 
the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  YOU  SEE? 


66 


CHAPTER  THIRTEEN. 


PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

The  Democratic  machine  orators  and  press  stop  at  nothing  in  the  way  of  per- 
verting facts;  when  they  think  by  so  doing  they  can  mislead  and  deceive  the  peo- 
ple. 

Only  a  few  days  ago  the  Charlotte  Observer  reported  one  of  the  machine  orators 
as  saying  that  the  school  election  in  1897  cost  $65,000.  This  statement  has  been 
completely  nullified  by  the  following  letter  : 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Observer:  __ 

I  see  in  your  Sunday's  paper  that  Mr.  Theo.  Kluttz  stated  at  Lincolnton  that 
the  election  for  schools  in  1S97  cost  about  $65,000. 

I  hope  Mr.  Kluttz  never  made  any  such  statement. 

East  Fall,  after  the  election  was  over,  I  sent  out  blanks  to  every  county  in  the 
State,  in  order  to  know  just  what  the  cost  was. 

From  the  seventy-two  counties  reported  to  me,  the  cost  was  $12,716.95. 

I  am  sure  that  half  of  the  remaining  twenty-four  counties  held  no  election  at  all, 
and  of  course  had  no  expense. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  election  did  not  cost  more  than  $15,000,  all  told. 

I  write  in  justice  to  the  cause  of  public  education,  and  feel  sure  Mr.  Kluttz 
has  been  misinformed  and  will  not  inj  ure  the  cause  of  education  for  the  sake  of  po- 
litical or  personal  gains. 

With  best  wishes.  C.  H.  MebanE, 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction. 

Raleigh,  August  29. 

„  There  has  been  no  time  in  the  State's  history  when  there  has  beeu  such  vigorous 
and  enthusiastic  work  done  for  the  cause  of  public  education  as  has  been  done  by 
the  present  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

There  is  greater  interest  among  the  people  to-day  of  all  classes  and  parties  than 
ever  before.  This  is  largely  due  to  the  broad,  liberal  policy  of  Superintendent 
Mebane.  He  has  shown  that  he  is  earnest  in  his  work,  and  has  merited  and  won 
the  respect  of  all  leading  State  educators,  regardless  of  party. 

Eleven  townships  voted  a  special  tax  for  Public  Schools  at  the  last  election. 
The  amount  of  tax  voted  was  $2,260.07.  This  was  duplicated  by  the  State  making 
an  extra  fund  for  schools  of  these  townships  of  $4,520.14. 

About  fifty  townships  raised  private  subscriptions,  amounting  to $8,596.63. 

This  amount  was  duplicated  by  the  State,  thus  making  a  special  fund  under  the 
provisions  for  donations  of  $17,193.26. 

Thus  under  the  local  tax  act  the  school  fund  in  these  townships  was  increased 
$21,713,50. 

During  the  year  1897,  the  State  Board  of  Education  apportioned  to  the  different 
counties  $56,849.13.  Adding  to  this  the  fund  from  local  tax  and  special  subscrip- 
tions donated,  and  we  have  an  increase  of  $78,562.63  above  the  regular  eighteen 
cents  on  hundred  dollars  worth  of  property,  and  fifty-four  cents  on  poll. 

The  Colored  Normal  Schools  have  had  $4,000  additional  appropriations  for  the 
last  two  years,  making  $8,000  additional  for  training  of  colored  teachers. 

The  State  Normal  College  has  had  its  appropriation  increased  from  $12,500  to 
$25 ,000,  making  it  equal  with  the  University. 

The  University  was  given  $5,000  extra  for  improvements.  « 


67 

The  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  $5,000  for  improvements. 

The  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  (colored),  $5,000  extra. 

More  funds  have  been  spent  for  the  cause  of  education  during  the  last  two  years, 
and  a  greater  interest  has  been  shown  in  the  cause  of  education,  than  ever  before. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  all  this  is  going  on,  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "Nigger,"  with 
the 'purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  See;  ? 


68 


CHAPTER  FOURTEEN. 

GREAT  IMPROVEMENT  IN  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF 
COUNTY  AFFAIRS. 

Anti-Democratic  management  of  county  affairs  has  proven  and  continues  to  prove 
to  be  of  immense  advantage  to  the  people.  In  all  counties  where  the  Democratic 
machine  has  been"  removed  from  control  there  has  been  a  marked  improvement  in 
the  administration  of  county  affairs.  All  the  illustrations  at  command  cannot  be 
given  here  for  want  of  space,  but  a  few  are  presented  for  the  information  of  the 
public.     Take  for  example  some  of  the  Eastern  counties. 

REDUCTION  OF  DEBT. 

Brunswick  has  made  a  net  reduction  of  its  debt  of  $2,ooo;  Duplin  of  $2,024.18; 
Harnett  from  $34,000  to  $25,000,  a  reduction  of  $9,000;  Pamlico  from  $3,000  to  $300, 
a  saving  of  $2,700;  Robeson's  debt  of  $17,000  has  been  practically  paid;  New  Han- 
over a  decrease  of  $6,525;  in  Wilson  a  reduction  of  $4,756.15,  and  in  Wake  from 
$48,970.56  under  Democratic  control  in  1896,  to  $37,894.69  under  a  co-operative 
board  in  1897  a  saving  of  $11,075.87. 

These  counties  show  that  where  the  Democratic  Commissioners  were  in  debt  in 
1896  to  the  amount  of  $123,033.82;  under  the  new  administration,  in  just  twelve 
months,  that  debt  has  decreased  to  $67,952.65,  or  a  saving  of  $54,081.20  in  the 
counties  named. 

Davidson  county  was  under  Democratic  management  from  1872  to  1897.  At  the 
beginning  of  1897  the  county  was  $6,000  in  debt,  and  a  fusion  government  took 
charge.  To-day  the  county  is  out  of  debt,  and  in  addition  to  this  there  have  been 
more  county  improvements  than  ever  before. 

In  New  Hanover  county  the  rate  of  assessment  of  taxes  for  connty  purposes  was, 
under  Democratic  rule  in  1896,  forty-seven  cents.  In  1898,  under  co-operative  con- 
trol, it  has  been  reduced  to  thirty-two  cents,  and  the  amount  of  county  taxes  col- 
lected from  the  people  has  been  reduced  from  $75,723.59  in  1896,  to  #56,208.72  in 
1897.  • 

CURRENT  EXPENDITURE. 

Beaufort  county  expended  in  1895  $13,510.14,  while  under  Democratic  control, 
and  in  1897  under  the  new  co-operative  administration,  $6,797.56,  a  saving  of  $6,- 
712.58. 

Brunswick  county  expended  in  1896  $6,446.58,  and  in  1897  $5,613.99,  a  saving  of 

$832.59- 

Camden  in  1895  $2,975.47,  and  in  1897  $1,500,  a  reduction  of  $1,475.47. 

Chatham  in  1896  $13,703.40,  against  $11,775.52  of  the  new  co-operative  adminis- 
tration in  1897,  a  saving  of  $1,927.88. 

Columbus  county  expended  in  1S96  $9,465.21,  and  in  1897  $8,130.41,  a  saving  of 
$1,334.80. 

Craven  in  1896  $21,478.27  to  $15,990.27  expended  in  1897  by  the  new  officials;  a 
saving  of  $5,488. 

Dare  from  $7,900.23  in  1896  to  $2,505.23,  a  saving  of  $5,395. 


69 

Duplin  in  1895  expended  $7,482.62,  and  in  1897  $5,331.01,  a  saving  of  $2,151.61. 

Edgecombe,  1896  $14,016.51,  and  $13,216.23  in  1897,  a  saving  of  $800.28. 

Halifax  expended  in  1896  $17,947.59,  against  $15,044.88  spent  by  the  new  board 
in  1897,  a  saving  of  $2,002.71. 

Nash  $10,6  4.35  in  1896  against  $8,533.34  in  1897,  a  decrease  of  $2,071.01. 

New  Han  ver  expended  in  1896  $46,784.99  against  $39,703.11  in  1897,  a  saving  of 
$7,081.88. 

Pitt  saved  under  the  first  two  years  of  co-operative  control  $4,000. 

Robeson's  expenditures  decreased  from  $16,994.96  in  1896  to  $10,044.02  in  1897, 
a  saving  of  $6,950.94. 

Wake  expended  under  a  Democratic  board  in  1896  $32,927.71  against  $27,834.86 
under  co-operative  control  in  1897,' a  saving  of  $5,092.28. 

Washington  in  1895  expended  $3,135.90,  and  in  1897  $2,514.11,  a  saving  of 
$621.79. 

The  above  shows  that  in  the  sixteen  counties  mentioned  the  total  DEMO- 
CRATIC expenditure  amounted  to  $229,373.93,  while  in  1897,  the  first  year  of  co- 
operative control,  it  had  fallen  to  $174,534.54,  or  a  saving  of  $54,839.39  by  the  wise 
a  nd  economical  administration  of  anti-Democratic  commissioners. 

Under  the  last  Democratic  administration  in  the  city  of  Newbertf  the  expendi- 
tures were  (for  half  year  ending  May,  1897,)  $10,824.86,  against  $7,597.76  for  the 
corresponding  period  of  1898  under  the  new  administration.  The  Democratic  ad- 
ministration has  evidently  run  short,  as  they  borrowed  $2,265.50  from  the  Farmers' 
and  Merchants  Bank  to  meet  current  expenses. 

The  new  officials  have  not  borrowed  a  cent,  and  had  at  the  end  of  the  half 
year  a  balance  of  $1,330.54.  The  Democratic  board  left  outstanding  vouchers 
amounting  to  about  $2,000,  and  of  this  the  new  board  has  paid  $1,000.  It  is  charged 
that  the  railroad  tax  fund  (a  trust  fund)  amounting  to  $2,153.27  in  1897,  was  un- 
lawfully expended  instead  of  being  held  in  the  Treasury,  subject  to  the  direction 
of  the  court  as  is  required,  and  this  charge  is  laid  up  against  the  Democratic  ad- 
ministration. 

All  vouchers  of  the  city  are  now  at  par.  This  same  fact  will  be  especially  noticed 
in  those  numerous  counties  where,  under  Democratic  control,  county  script  circu- 
lated below  par.  / 

Western  counties  that  are  under  co-operative  Control  show  the  same  improve- 
ment in  county  finances. 

In  Stokes  county  the  current  expenditures  were,  in  1896,  $490.22  in  excess  of 
receipts,  while  in  1897,  under  co-operative  control,  this  was  changed  to  a  surplus 
of  $112,90,  although  the  Home  for  the  Aged  and  some  bridges  had  been  improved 
at  a  cost  of  $639.22. 

In  Yadkin  county  the  amount  of  claims  audited  under  the  Democratic  Commis- 
sioners was  in  1896,  $3,816.65,  against  $3,339.20  under  co-operative  control  in  1897. 

In  Buncombe  county  the  expenditures  for  county  purposes  only  increased  $381,31 
under  co-operative  control  in  1897,  although  $20,000  of  debts  that  had  accumulated 
under  preceding  Democratic  administrations  were  paid  out  of  the  taxes  collected. 

Forsyth  county,  under  Democratic  control,  expended  in  1896,  $24,601.46  ;  under 
the  new  administration,  $19,490.39,  or  a  saving  of  $5,111.07. 

Now  note  some  counties  where  Democratic  Commissioners  are  in  control. 

The  county  of  Caldwell  expended  in  1894,  $4,480.69;  in  1896,  $6,532.15,  and  in 
1897,  $8,047.62. 

Carteret  county  went  from  $5,133-08  in  1894,  to  $5,398.17  in  1896,  and  $5,975.14 
in  1897.     In  connection  with  the  Democratic  management  of  the  finances  of  this 


yo 

county,  it  should  be  remembered  that  John  D.  Davis,  ex-Collector  of  Customs,  was 
engaged  as  an  expert  to  examine  the  condition  of  the  county's  finances,  and  to 
ascertain  the  amount  of  the  county  debt,  and  report  the  same  to  the  Board  of  Com- 
missioners. If  this  report  has  ever  been  made  it  has  never  been  given  to  the 
public  or  thrown  open  to  inspection,  but  it  is  said  by  reliable  parties  that  the 
floating  debt  is  from  $6,000  to  $7,000.  The  county's  paper  is  sold  for  75  cents  on 
the  dollar,  and  most  of  said  paper  has  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Democratic 
bosses,  and  the  county  is  paying  six  per  cent,  interest  on  this  paper — one  of  the 
few  counties  in  the  State  where  county  paper  draws  interest,  except  in  cases  where 
it  is  put  into  judgment. 

Mecklenburg  (general  fund  only)  went  from  $104,517.41  in  1894,  to  $123,388.57 
in  1897;  and  Rockingham  county  from  $9,005.38  in  1894,  to  $9,734.01  in  1896,  and 
$11,131.17  in  1897. 

Just  these  four  counties  show  the  result  of  Democratic  financiering,  and  have 
resulted  in  an  increase  in  expenses  of  $25,405.94,  and  yet  the  Democratic  machine 
press  is  trying  to  make  the  people  of  the  State  believe  that  the  Democratic  system 
of  county  finance  was  beneficial  and  saving  to  the  tax-payers  of  the  State.  The 
result  is  known  to  the  people,  and  despite  the  attempts  of  a  falsifying  press  to  hide 
the  true  issues  of  the  present  campaign, 4he  people,  with  all  the  facts  of  the  case 
before  them,  will,  on  a  greater  day  in  one  mighty  assemblage,  forever  decide  the 
questions  under  dispute,  by  placing  on  economy  the  mark  of  their  approval,  and 
crushing  to  the  earth  the  falsehoods  of  error,  the  "  Old  North  State"  will  con- 
tinue to  advance  in  the  glory  of  the  world. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

While  all  this  is  going  on  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "  Nigger  "  with 
the  purpose  of  trying  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  See? 


CHAPTER  FIFTEEN. 


THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

The  North  Carolina  Department  of  Agriculture  was  established  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature.  The  title  of  the  act  was:  "To  establish  a  Department  of  Agriculture, 
Immigration  and  Statistics,  and  for  the  Encouragement  of  Sheep  Husbandry,  as 
embodied  in  The  Code." 

In  the  Agricultural  Building,  and  closely  allied  to  it,  are  the  offices  and  labora- 
tory of  the  State  Experiment  Station  and  the  State  Chemist.  The  Director  of  the 
Experiment  Station  is  the  Acting  State  Chemist,  and  he  analyzes  all  the  fertilizers 
sold  in  the  State,  under  the  direction  of  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture.  Inspec- 
tors are  employed,  who  go  to  every  corner  of  the  State  and  collect  samples  of  fer- 
tilizers, sending  them  in  to  be  analyzed,  under  seal,  and  if  these  samples  are  found 
not  to  contain  as  much,  or  more,  of  the  ingredients  as  is  claimed  by  the  manufac- 
turers, said  manufacturers  can  be  prosecuted,  and  the  fertilizers  condemned  and 
sold  at  public  action.  In  the  same  building,  mineral  and  other  waters,  soil,  min- 
erals, and  many  other  articles  are  analyzed  for  farmers  or  other  citizens  of  the 
State. 

It  also  contains  the  State  Museum,  the  best  of  all  State  Museums,  and  the  best 
of  any  kind  in  the  South,  which  is  being  more  rapidly  enlarged  and  improved  than 
ever  before.  Here  can  be  seen  specimens  of  all  kinds  of  agricultural  products 
grown  in  the  State,  fruits  and  berries,  minerals,  curios,  specimens  of  timber,  build- 
ing stones,  gems,  ores,  and  prepared  specimens  of  all  the  fish,  fowls  and  animals 
found  in  the  State ;  also  specimens  of  all  the  medicinal  roots,  herbs  and  barks. 

The  Agricultural  Building  has  been  enlarged  in  the  past  two  years,   and  the 
present  officials  have,  within  the  past  year,  rearranged  everything  in  the  building, 
put  in  new  furniture,  carpets,  and  added  many  important  items  to  the  collection, 
including  the  famous  "  Stephenson  collection  "  of  minerals,  formerly  owned  by  a  . 
gentleman  at  Statesville. 

About  forty  thousand  people  have  visited  the  Museum  in  the  past  twelve  months, 
many  of  them  from  other  States,  and  not  a  few  from  foreign  lands.  Every  visitor 
has  expressed  wonder  and  pleasure  at  the  splendid  exhibit,  and  the  unanimous 
opinion  is  that  such  a  display  of  resources  has  never  before  been  gathered  together 
from  a  territory  no  larger  than  that  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina. 

The  object  here,  however,  is  not  to  attempt  to  describe  what  can  be  seen  in  the 
Agricultural  Building,  but  rather  to  give  the  public  a  comparison  between  the  man- 
agement of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  the  last  year  the  Democrats  had  charge, 
and  the  management  during  the  first  year  of  an  anti-Democratic  administration. 
The  people  can  then  decide  for  themselves  whether  or  not  the  present  administra- 
tion is  doing  its  duty. 

The  Department  is  sustained  by  a  tonnage  tax  of  twenty-five  cents  per  ton,  paid 
by  the  manufacturer,  on  all  fertilizers  sold  in  the  State.  No  appropriation  is  made 
for  the  Department  by  the  Legislature.  This  tonnage  tax  is  collected  and  is  spent 
for  inspection  purposes,  for  pay  of  officials,  for  analyzing  fertilizers,  and  to  adver- 
tise the  resources  of  the  State  in  every  way  possible.  A  comparison  of  the  finances 
under  the  last  year  of  Democratic  management  and  the  first  year  of  anti-Demo- 
cratic management  shows  up  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  "  fusionists." 


72  « 

From  June  14,  1896,  to  June  14,   1897,  under  Democratic  management 

the  Department  collected  in  tonnage  tax $  52,602.73 

During  the  same  period  they  spent 67,470.79 

They  disbursed  $14,868.06  more  than  they  collected,  and,  of  course,  drew  upon 
surplus  left  over  during  former  years. 
The  "  f usionists, "  the  "incompetents,"  the  " incapables, "  took  charge 

on  the  14th  of  June,  1897.     From  that  date  until  June  i,   1898,  just 

eleven  and  a  half  months,  they  collected $  57,973.75 

During  the  same  period  they  spent 37>345-25 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  "f  usionists"  collected  $5,371.02  more  than  the  Demo- 
crats during  the  comparative  fiscal  years  and  spent  $30,125.54  less  than  they  spent. 
Now  let  the  question  arise  as  to  who  has  made  the  best  record. 

The  Democratic  machine  press  has  made  some  comment  about  a  "great  many 
inspectors"  being  employed  by  the  present  management.  Well,  during  the  last 
fiscal  year,  the  "  fusionists  "  employed  two  more  inspectors  than  the  Democrats 
had  during  the  previous  year.  They  were  only  at  work  a  few  months  of  the  year, 
and  the  total  cost  of  the  seven  inspectors  employed  by  the  "  fusionists  "  during  the 
year  was  but  $900  more  than  of  the  five  inspectors  employed  by  the  Democrats 
during  the  previous  year.  In  other  words,  the  present  administration  managed 
the  inspection  so  well  that  they  collected  $5,271.02  more  tax  than  Democrats  col- 
lected, at  an  additional  outlay  of  only  $900.  Was  not  that  a  wise  investment  with 
good  results  ? 

Now,  farmer  friend ,  who  has  managed  your  Agricultural  Department  with  the 
greatest  efficiency? 

It  is  proper  to  state  that,  during  the  past  year,  the  Department  has  caused  the 
standard  of  commercial  fertilizers  to  be  raised,  and  another  plan  is  on  foot  which 
will  result  in  still  greater  advantages  to  the  fertilizer  purchaser. 

During  the  last  year  of  Democratic  management,  the  circulation  of  the  monthly 
"Bulletin,"  which  is  free  to  all  farmers,  was  21,000.  The  circulation  is  now  a 
little  over  30,000  monthly. 

During  the  past  year  the  number  of  fertilizer  samples  taken  and  analyzed,  was 
about  twenty-five  per  cent,  in  excess  of  the  previous  year. 

And  now  note  carefully. 

The  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "Nigger"  with  the  purpose  of  diverting 
the  attention  of  the  people  from  such  facts  as  these. 

Do  you  SEE  ? 


/ 


n 


CHAPTER  SIXTEEN. 


SOME  SAMPLE  LIES. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  of  this  pamphlet  there  are  some  remarks  which  ' '  inti- 
mate "  that  the  Democratic  machine  press  is  not  over-careful  about,  telling  the 
truth.  To  emphasize  those  intimations  it  is  proposed  to  present  here  some  "  sample 
lies."  The  general  supply  for  one  year  would  fill  a  book  about  as  big  as  all  the 
Democratic  machine  papers  issued  in  the  State  for  one  year  would  make.  They 
are  not  presented  consecutively,  but  they  are  numbered  for  the  sake  of  convenience. 
They  are  of  all  grades  and  sizes. 

NUMBER  1. 

[Charlotte  Observer,  Feb.  4.] 

BLOOD  ON  THE  TAR-HEED  MOON. 

Resistance  to  Supreme  Court. 

russeee  wiee  use  the  state  guard  to  keep  caedweee  and  pearson  out  of 

the  clutches  of  the  supreme  court,  and  if  the  guard  mutinies, 

the  governor  wiee  faee  back  on  captain  c.  s.  e.  a. 

tayeor's  company. 

Washington,  Feb.  3. — Governor  Russell  is  quoted  in  Wilmington  as  saying  that 
he  "  will  protect  Railroad  Commissioners  Caldwell  and  Pearson  against  the  rule 
recently  issued  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  to  the  full  extent  of  his 
resources  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  State  militia." 

He  is  reported  as  having  advised  resistance  to  the  order  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
saying  that  the  object  of  the  removal  of  the  Wilsons  as  Railroad  Commissioners 
was  to  precipitate  a  conflict  between  the  State  and  Federal  Judiciary.  "  I  will  go 
to  jail,"  he  is  quoted  as  saying,  "  to  make  the  question  of  Federal  usurpation  the 
paramount  issue  in  the  next  State  campaign." 

It  is  not  believed  here  that  the  State  Guard  will  respond  to  his  call  in  the  event 
of  resistance  on  the  part  of  Commissioners  Caldwell  and  Pearson.  But  the  Gov- 
ernor's Guard,  a  colored  company  of  Charlotte,  commanded  by  Capt.  C.  S.  D.  A. 
Taylor,  has  offered  its  services  in  anticipation  of  the  Governor's  failure  to  utilize 
the  State  Guard. 

NUMBER  1  NAILED. 

THE  RUSSEDD  FAKE  STORY. 

Charlotte  Observer  Prints  a  Correction  and  Comments  Thereon. 

[Charlotte  Observer,  Feb.  6.] 

In  an  interview  given  out  to-night,  Governor  Russell  says  :  ' '  The  statement 
accredited  to  me  with  regard  to  remarks  concerning  resistance  to  the  order  or  decree 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  is  unqualifiedly  false,  and  has  not  even 
the  shadow  of  foundation,  and  was  concocted  by  my  enemies  to  injure  me  and  my 
appointees." 

We  are  glad  to  see  that  Governor  Russell  denies  having  said,  as  reported  in  this 
paper's  Washington  correspondence,  and  that  he  would  resist,  with  force  or  other- 
wise, the  decree  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  attaching  his  Railroad  Com- 
missioners for  contempt.  We  regret  that  our  Washington  correspondent  was  mis- 
informed in  the  matter.  The  Observer  would  not  consciously  do  injustice  to  Gov- 
ernor Russell,  however  much  it  opposes  his  administration  of  State  affairs.  In 
this  connection  we  call  attention  to  the  card  of  Capt.  C.  S.  D.  A.  Taylor,  in  this 
issue,  denying  that  he  had  tendered  the  services  of  his  company  to  the  Governor, 
or  that  they  had  been  asked  for. 


74 

NOTE. — In  the  foregoing  instance  the  touters  over-did  themselves  in  trying  to  take 
back  what  they  put  out.  They  tried  to  make  it  appear  that  the  Governor  had  given 
them  an  interview  in  which  he  denied  the  statement.  The  truth  is  the  Governor 
never  noticed  them  at  all. 

Capt.  C    S.  L.  A.  Taylor  "Didn't"  Tender  His  Command. 

In  today's  Charlotte  Observer  the  captain  of  the  only  negro  military  company  in 
the  State,  and  whose  company  was  in  Raleigh  during  the  late  negro  State  Fair, 
uses  the  following  denial  of  the  soft  impeachment,  so  far  as  he  and  his  company 
are  concerned: 

"  I  notice  in  your  issue  of  to-day,  in  reference  to  a  threatened  tilt  between  Gov- 
ernor Russell  and  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  it  was  published  that  I, 
as  commander  of  the  Charlotte  Light  Infantry  B,  N.  C.  S.  G.,  have  tendered  the 
services  of  my  command,  in  an  anticipation  of  the  Governor's  failure  to  utilize  the 
State  Guard.  This  stetement,  unintentional,  no  doubt,  is  calculated  to  do  me  in- 
justice, and  to  place  me  in  a  false  light.  In  advance  of  a  demand  by  our  Governor 
and  commander-in-chief  of  the  State  military  forces  for  the  services  of  my  com- 
mand, it  would  have  been,  to  say  the  least,  highly  improper  for  me  to  even  inti- 
mate that  I  would  respond  or  refuse  to  respond  to  the  order  of  my  superior  officer. 
I  may  simply  state  that  Governor  Russell  has  made  no  such  demand  of  me,  or  even 
hinted  that  the  services  of  my  command  would  likely  be  required. 

"C.  S.  L.  A.  Taylor, 
"  Com.  C.  L.  I.  Co.  B,  N.  C.  S.  G." 

NUMBER  2. 

ABOUT  A  JUDICIAL  SALARY. 

\ News  and  Observer.~\ 

In  1897  Ewart  got  an  act  through  giving  him,  in  addition,  civil  jurisdiction  with 
an  increase  in  salary  of  $500.  The  Supreme  Court  held  this  latter  act  totally  in- 
valid, but  the  Auditor,  under  the  advice  of  our  blonde  Attorney-General,  is  continu- 
ing to  pay  the  $500  for  services  which  are  not  and  cannot  be  rendered. 

NUMBER  2  NAILED. 

The  letter  of  advice  from  the  Attorney-General  to  the  State  Auditor  stated  that 
it  was  not  clear  that  Judge  Ewart  was  entitled  to  the  $500,  and  the  records  in  the 
Auditor's  office  will  show  that  it  was  promptly  discontinued. 

NUMBER  3. 

[Ne-ws  and  Observer,  August  16.] 
MR.  HILL  HAS  ENOUGH. 

Mr.  Joshua  B.  Hill,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners,  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  is  not  out  hunting  for  Democra  ic  newspapers  to  talk  about  his  party  or 
the  actions  of  men  elected  by  it.  All  the  same,  it  has  come  out  that  Mr.  Hill  is 
not  at  all  pleased  with  certain  things  with  which  his  position  as  Chairman  of  the 
Commissioners  has  brought  him  in  contact,  and  is  pretty  thoroughly  tired  and 
disgusted.  One  of  the  chief  of  these  thorns  in  the  flesh  has  been  and  is  that  belated 
settlement  of  Sheriff  Jones. 

So  completely  has  Mr.  Hill  had  enough  that  he  does  not  propose  to  stand  for 
re-election  to  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners.  Those  who  are  anxious  for  the 
job  Mr.  Hill  has  found  ready  cut  out  for  him  are  welcome  to  it  after  his  present 
term  expires. 

NUMBER  3  NAILED. 

A  CARD  FROM  MR.  HILL. 

To  the  Editor: — Noticing  the  article  in  the  News  and  Observer  this  morning, 
headed,  "  Mr.  Hill  Has  Enough,"  requires,  I  think,  in  justice  to  Sheriff  Jones  and 


75 

myself,  that  I  should  make  correction.  Please  allow  this  in  to-morrow's  paper. 
It  is  not  true  that  I  refused  to  stand  for  election  again  as  County  Commissioner 
because,  as  is  alleged,  of  a  belated  settlement  of  Sheriff  Jones  of  his  taxes.  Other 
reasons  move  me  to  decline  the  honor,  which  I  think  is  unnecessary  to  state  here. 
Sheriff  Jones  has  settled  in  full,  State  and  county  taxes  for  1897 — is  all  straight  so 
far  as  I  know,  and  we  are  personally  good  friends.  J.  B.  Hili,. 

RaeEIGH,  N.  C,  August  16. 

NUMBER  4. 

With  flaming  headlines,  the  News  and  Observer  of  August  14th,  said  :  "  It  is  a 
Revolution:  Members  of  State  Alliance  Return  to  Democracy." 

And  under  these  lines  said  the  Alliance  was  disgusted  with  the  administration  of 
Governor  Russell. 

NUMBER  4  NAILED. 

The  Alliance  officially  adopted  the  following  resolution: 

The  North  Carolina  Farmers'  Alliance  return  their  thanks  to  His  Excellency, 
Governor  Russell,  for  his  efforts  to  further  our  demands  in  obtaining  cheaper  rail- 
road charges,  freight  and  passenger,  for  the  people  of  the  State,  and  that  we  hereby 
express  our  confidence  in  his  integrity  and  earnest  desire  to  save  the  tax-payers  of 
the  State  useless  expenditures. ' ' 

NUMBER  5. 

[Aform'ng  Post,  August  20.~\ 

HOW  HE  HELPS  JOE  ROGERS.  ' 

Father-in- Law  Mewboorne  Lends  a  Hand  and  a  State  Buggy. 

Father-in-law  Mewboorne  is  taking  not  only  a  lively  interest  in  the  canvass  of 
Son-in-law  J.  J.  Rogers  for  re-election  to  the  office  of  Register  of  Deeds  of  Wake 
county,  but  also  unwarranted  liberty  with  the  State's  property  in  rendering  the  as- 
sistance. At  St.  Mary's  township,  on  Thursday,  at  the  primary  of  the  Populists 
to  send  delegates  to  the  Populist  County  Convention,  it  was  openly  charged  by  a 
Populist  that  Superintendent  Mewboorne  was  using  a  horse  and  buggy  belonging  to 
the  State,  and  a  member  of  the  guard  of  the  Penitentiary  is  tramping  around  the 
county  canvassing  for  Soft  Joe.  This  is  a  gross  abuse  of  privilege,  so  much  so  that 
the  Populists  at  St.  Marv's  denounced  it,  and  declared  a  purpose  to  vote  against 
Mr.  Rogers  and  proceeded  to  do  so  then  and  there. 

NUMBER  0  NAILED. 

Mr.  Mewboorne  wrote  to  the  Post  denouncing  the  statement  as  false,  and  author- 
ized Mr.  Rufus  Barbee,  County  Commissioner  of  Wake  county,  to  say  to  the  Popu- 
list County  Convention  that  the  statement  was  a  "lie."  Mr.  Barbee  openly  de- 
clared it  to  be  a  lie  before  the  convention,  and  the  statement  has  not  been  repeated. 

NUMBER  6. 

ONE  ON  SENATOR  BUTLER. 

"If  colored  men  commit  outrages  the  Democrats  pretend  to  be  terribly  shocked 
in  public,  but  when  they  get  behind  a  wall  they  laugh  until  they  grow  fat,  and  if 
the  outrages  are  not  frequent  enough,  they  hire  worthless  negroes  to  commit  them . ' ' 

The  above  is  an  utterance  which  the  Rocky  Mount  Argonaut,  a  Democratic 
machine  sheet,  asserts  Mr.  Butler  made  in  a  speech  delivered  in  that  town. 

NUMBER  6  NAILED. 

The  following  gentlemen  are  residents  of  Nash  and  adjoining  counties.  All  of 
them  heard  Senator  Butler's  speech,  and  they  all  make  affidavits  that  he  made  no 
such  statement  : 


76 

David  Everett,  P.  A.  May,  G.  W.  Coley,  Jas.  J.  Coley,  B.  F.  Westray,  G.  T. 
Coley,  Van  B.  Carter,  Jno.  B.  Lewis,  W.  G.  Leigh,  Jas.  B.  Lloyd,  W.  E.  Fountain, 
J.  T.  Dupree,  Jas.  D.  Baker,  W.  S.  Bailey,  Jno.  D.  Mears,  J.  A.  Farmer,  N.  C. 
Cooper,  J.  H.  Edwards,  M.  J.  Battle,  J.  M.  Cutchin,  Jesse  Proctor,  M.  B.  Williford, 
R.  H.  Armstrong,  Jas.  A.  Thomas,  H.  A.  Davis,  G.  W.  Whitehead,  G.  R.  Marsh- 
burn,  Jas.  A.  Evans,  H.  C.  Davis, 

There  is  more  character  in  one  of  the  above  named  gentlemen  than  there  is  in 
the  entire  Democratic  machine  press  of  the  State.  The  weight  of  evidence  settles 
the  matter. 

NUMBER  7. 

THE  MACHINE  DEMOCRATS. 

Are  Greatly  Worried  Because  People  are  not  Jailed  for  Failure  to 

Pay  Taxes. 

Early  in  December,  1897,  a  "  tax  notice,"  with  Judge  Thos.  H.  Sutton's  named 
signed  to  it,  appeared  in  the  Charlotte  Observer \  and  was  copied  by  the  Democratic 
papers  throughout  the  State.  These  negro  monopoly  organs  proceeded  to  comment 
at  length,  saying  that  the  fusion  legislature  had  passed  a  law  to  put  people  in  jail  for 
not  paying  their  tax.  They  held  up  this  "tax  notice  "  as  coming  from  a  Republi- 
can Judge  to  prove  their  statement. 

NUMBER  7  NAILED. 

The  following,  taken  from  the  Charlotte  Observer,  December  17,  explains  itself : 

THE  NOTICE  TO  TAX-PAYERS. 

Judge  Sutton  Did  Not  Write  It,  Sign  It,  or  Authorize  It. 

important  to  tax- payers. 

I  instructed  the  Sheriff  from  the  bench  this  (Monday),  to  prepare  a  delinquent 
list  of  all  parties  not  having  paid  their  taxes  by  Saturday  night,  the  18th  inst.,  and 
to  furnish  the  same  to  this  Court.  This  list  will  then  be  handed  to  the  Solicitor  to 
be  dealt  with  according  to  law.     The  Sheriff  has  no  voice  in  this  matter. 

Thomas  H.  Sutton, 
Judge*)/ the  Criminal  Court. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Observer: — Referring  to  the  above  advertisement,  or 
"  notice  to  tax-payers,"  I  desire  to  say  that  I  never  wrote  it,  nor  authorized  anyone 
else  to  write  or  publish  it.  I  did  not  inspire  or  suggest  it,  and  was  very  much  sur- 
prised at  seeing  it  in  print  when  Mr.  Tillett  called  it  to  my  attention. 

Of  course  I  understand  that  I  cannot,  occupying  the  position  that  I  do,  go  into 
newspaper  print,  but  may  I  not  set  myself  right  before  the  public  by  a  denial  of 
this,  as  I  would  if  I  were  charged  with  stealing  your  horse  or  burning  your  house  ? 

I  believe,  from  the  innate  manhood  of  your  nature,  which  every  one  concedes 
that  you  possess,  you  will  do  me  simple  justice.  The  books  of  your  business 
department  will  show  who  is  charged  for  this  ' '  notice  to  tax-payers. ' '  Examine 
them  and  see  if  I  am,  and  if  not,  who? 

Very  respectfully,  Thomas  H.  Sutton. 

Charlotte,  N.  C,  Dec.  18,  1897. 

I  heard  Mr.  Johnson,  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Mecklenburg  county,  say  in  the  presence 
of  Judge  Sutton  that  the  latter  was  in  no  way  responsible  for  the  advertisement, 
"  important  to  tax-payers  ;  "  that  Sheriff  Smith  said  his  office  clerk  had  written  it, 
and  signed  Judge  Sutton's  name  without  his  authority.     This  18th  December,  1897. 

J.  L.  WEBB, 
Solicitor  11th  District,  N.  C. 

NoTE. — The  Sheriff  of  Mecklenburg  county  is  a  Democrat.  Thus  far  only 
Democrats  have  shown  any  desire  to  jail  people  for  not  paying  their  tax.  It  has 
been  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  office-seeking  machine  Democrats  that 
people  who  thus  far  failed  to  pay  their  taxes  have  not  been  jailed. 


77 

NUMBER  S. 

ABOUT  A  FREE  PASS. 

The  Raleigh  correspondent  of  the  Wilmington  Star  says  : 

I  am  told  that.  Senator  Butler  went  to  the  Nashville  Exposition  on  a  free  pass. 
He  could  hardly  call  this  Caucasian  business." 

NUMBER  8  NAILED. 

In  the  Caucasian  Senator  Butler  writes  as  follows  : 

This  is  false.  The  papers  that  charge  that  Senator  Butler  rides  on  free  passes 
are  publishing  falsehoods,  and  they  know  it. 

NUMBER  9. 

[From  Ne-vs  and  Observer.] 

THE  LOOTERS  GET  IN  THEIR  WORK. 

The  A.  and  M.  College  Parceled  Out  Among  the  Wreckers. 

The  State  has  received  a  blow  from  which  it  will  not  soon  recover.  Its  indus- 
trial development  and  educational  advancement  have  been  set  back  almost  a  de- 
cade. 

This  Brutus  stab  has  come  from  the  Governor  of  the  State  and  the  Trustees  of 
the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College.  The  latter  institution  has  been  looted 
and  the  Experiment  Station  destroyed  to  make  place  for  political  henchmen. 
Good  men — scholars  and  scientists — have  been  displaced  by  incompetents  and 
nincompoops. 

In  this  nefarious  work  these  men  were  backed  up  on  one  side  by  a  lot  of  ig- 
noramuses who  know  no  law  in  the  matter  save  the  will  of  those  whose  tools  the}- 
are  ;  on  the  other  side  by  a  Governor  whose  only  desire  is  to  make  political  jobs  for 
those  upon  whose  backs  he  hopes  to  ride  into  the  United  States  Senate." 

NUMBER  9  NAILED. 

A   CARD. 

To  the  Editor  : — The  article  in  yesterday's  issue  of  your  paper  making  the 
sweeping  charge  that  the  Trustees  of  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  had 
"looted"  that  institution  is,  we  think,  unjust  to  that  body,  unfair  to  us,  and  so 
far  from  the  facts  that,  if  uncontroverted,  it  must  do  the  college  great  harm. 
While  the  board  had  the  power  to  change  every  officer  of  the  institution,  it  so  far 
from  " parceling  the  college  out  among  the  wreckers,"  changed  in  the  faculty 
proper  the  head  of  only  one  department,  and  this  we  are  assured  was  done  solely  to 
effect  a  consolidation  of  the  agricultural  work  of  the  college  and  of  the  Experi- 
ment Station,  and  thereby  to  save  in  this  department  about  seventeen  hundred  dol- 
lars by  assigning  to  one  of  the  professors  the  work  hitherto  divided  between  two. 
The  only  change  in  the  faculty  was  in  the  adjunct  professorship  of  Mathematics, 
and  the  addition  of  one  teacher  to  the  official  force. 

While  we,  of  course,  cannot  but  deeply  regret  parting  from  men  who  have  been 
pleasantly  and  closely  associated  with  us,  and  whom  we  respect  and  esteem  most 
highly,  we,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  old  faculty  feel,  in  justice  to  ourselves, 
to  the  board  of  trustees,  to  the  institution  that  we  have  served  so  long,  impelled  to 
deny  that  it  has  been  "looted,"  nor  can  we  be  expected  to  admit  with  entire  good 
grace  that  "the  institution  has  been  turned  over  to  incompetents  and  nincom- 
poops." 

We  assure  the  people  of  our  State,  and  especially  the  friends  of  technical  educa- 


78 

tion,  that  there  is  no  cause  to  lose  confidence  in  the  institution,  nor  in  its  compe- 
tency to  do  the  great  work  for  which  it  was  founded. 

Respectfully,  Alexander  Q.  Holladay, 

President. 
W.  F.  Massey, 
Professor  Horticulture  and  Botany. 
W.  A  Withers, 

Professor' of  Chemistry. 
D.  H.  HiLL, 

Professor  of  English. 
W.  C.  Riddick, 
Professor  Mathematics  and  Civil  Engineering. 
Nathaniel  R.  Craighill, 
Professor  of  Mechanical  Engineering. 
J.  C.  Gresham, 
Captain  Seventh  Cavalry,  Professor  Military  Science  and  Tactics. 

NoTE. — All  the  Professors  who  "nailed  "  No.  9,  are  Democrats. 

THE  NEWS  AND  OBSERVER  NAILS  ITSELF. 
This  paper  of  August  31st  says  : 

On  Thursday  of  this  week,  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  will  open  its 
doors  for  a  new  year's  work.  Entrance  examinations  for  new  students  will  begin 
this  morning  at  nine  o'clock. 

This  young  college  constantly  takes  on  fresh  life.  This  summer  a  department  of 
Biology  and  Veterinary  Science  has  been  added  to  the  science  side  of  the  insiitution, 
and  a  thoroughly  competent  man,  Dr.  Cooper  Curtice,  of  New  York,  will  occupy 
it.  The  engineering  departments  have  received  thorough  overhauling  during  vaca- 
tion and  many  additions  have  been  made  to  them.  The  mechanical  laboratories, 
drawing-rooms,  and  shops  have  all  been  arranged  for  steam-heat,  and  a  bakery  has 
been  added  to  the  kitchen  outfit. 

NUMBER  10.  / 

\_Nezvs  and  Observer,  January  6.] 

MORE  FUSION  INCOMPETENCE. 

The  Bursar  at  the  A.  and  M.  College  in  Trouble. 

HIS  BOOKS  IN  A  TANGLE,   HAVE  NOT  BEEN   BALANCED   FOR  FOUR  MONTHS,   AND 

NOW  THEY  WON'T  BALANCE — BUT  IT'S  ONLY  A  LITTLE  MATTER  OF  SOME 

$5,000 — THE  FINANCE  COMMITTEE  GIVES  HIM  A 

MONTH  TO  GET  THEM  STRAIGHT. 

And  still  instances  of  Populist  incompetency  come  to  light. 

When  the  News  and  Observer  said  that  E.  G.  Butler,  of  Vance  county,  was  in- 
competent to  fill  the  positions  of  Bursar  and  Assistant  Professor  of  English  at  the 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  the  fusionists  declared  that  he  was  one  of 
the  best  and  most  accomplished  men  in  North  Carolina. 

Experience  usually  proves  who's  right  in  such  matters.  In  this,  as  in  many  sim- 
ilar instances,  it  has  shown  that  the  News  and  Observer  was  correct  in  its  estimate 
of  Mr.  Butler  and  that  hisfusion  defenders  were  wrong. 

For  two  days  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Agricul- 
tural and  Mechanical  College  has  been  here  examining  the  books  of  that  institution. 
This  committee  is  composed  of  one  Democrat  and  two  Republicans,  as  follows  :  J. 
W.  Harden  (Republican),  of  Raleigh;  Dr.  B.  F.  Dixon  (Democrat),  of  Shelby  ; 
and  Col.  L.  C.  Edwards  (Republican),  of  Oxford. 

They  met  Tuesday  afternoon  and  went  over  the  books  of  Prof.  W.  A.  Withers, 
Director  of  the  Experiment  Station.,     These  they  found  in  good  order  and  correct. 

But  yesterday  when  they  came  to  the  books  of  Butler,  the  Bursar  of  the  College, 
they  found  a  very  different  state  of  affairs.  His  books  are  in  a  tangle — an  awful 
tangle — and  the  committee  could  tell  absolutely  nothing  about  the  finance  of  the 
institution. 


79 

Butler  has  not  balanced  his  books  in  four  months,  and  now  he  can't  balance 
them.  There's  some  five  or  six  thousand  dollars  short,  apparently.  The  commit- 
tee does  not  believe  he  has  made  away  with  it.  They  have  no  means  of  knowing, 
of  course,  but  after  looking  at  the  condition  of  the  books  they  are  charitable 
enough  to  give  him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  and  attribute  the  discrepency  to  bad 
book-keeping. 

Of  course,  with  such  book-keeping,  the  committee  could  not  go  further,  so  they 
gave  Mr.  Butler  a  month,  with  the  voluntary  assistance  of  Prof.  Hill,  the  former 
Bursar,  and  Mr.  Harden,  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  to  straighten  his  ac- 
counts up,  bring  some  ordor  out  of  the  chaos  and  show  where  that  $5,000  went  to. 

This  is  the  price  the  State  is  paying  for  fusion  incompetence. 

NUMBER  10  NAILED. 

[Press-  Visitor,  January  6th.] 

REPORT  CORRECTED. 

Discrepancy  in  Professor  Butler's  Books  Oney  Three  Doeears  and  This 

is  in  His  Favor. 

mr.  j.  w.  hardin,  chairman  of  the  finance  committee,  gives  the  facts  in 
the  case— the  books  neatey  kept. 

The  finance  committee  of  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  adjourned 
yesterday  afternoon  after  completing  their  work  of  examining  the  books  of  the 
Bursar,  Prof.  E.  G.  Butler. 

Various  reports  have, been  circulated  about  the  result  of  the  committee's  work, 
so  this  morning  a  Press-  Visitor  representative  called  on  Mr.  J.  W.  Hardin,  of 
this  city,  who  is  chairman  of  the  finance  committee,  and  asked  him  concerning 
these  reports.  Mr.  Hardin  replied  that  there  was  only  a  discrepancy  of  about  three 
dollars,  and  this  discrepancy  was  in  Prof.  Butler's  favor. 

Mr.  Hardin  said  further  that  the  books  are  neatly  kept,  and  are  in  good  condi- 
tion, but  his  lack  of  experience  in  book-keeping,  in  the  various  departments  required 
to  be  kept  separate,  caused  the  difference. 

Mr.  Hardin»is  one  of  the  most  efficient  book-keepers  in  Raleigh,  and  knows  just 
how  books-  should  be  kept.  His  statement  exonerates  Prof.  Butler  from  any 
suspicion  which  the  reports  circulated  may  have  caused  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
do  not  know  Prof.  Butler.  Upon  those  who  are  acquainted  with  Prof.  Butler,  the 
reports  made  no  impression.  His  reputation  is  good  at  his  home,  and  he  is  respected 
here.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Good  Shepherd  Church,  and  a  regular  attendant. 

HIT  AGAIN. 

BUFORD  HOTEE, 

ChareoTTE,  January  6,  1898. 
Prof.  .£.  G.  Butler,  Bursar  A.  and  M.  College,  Raleigh,  N.  C: 

Dear  Professor: —  *  *  *  I  was  exceedingly  mortified  to  read  the  false  report 
in  the  News  and  Observer  this  morning  relative  to  you  and  your  books.  Being 
the  only  Democrat  on  the  committee,  I  am  naturally  fearful  lest  you  should  think 
the  reporter  of  that  paper  had  gotten  his  information  from  me,  and  I  wish  to  dis- 
claim anything  of  the  kind.         With  best  wishes, 

Yours  very  truly,  B.  F.  Dixon. 

Note. — The  Neivs  and  Observer  seems  to  have  made  a  desperate  effort  to  kill 
the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  and  to  slander  the  present  administra- 
tion, but  every  lie  it  told  proved  a  boomerang  to  itself. 


8o 

NUMBER  11. 

ABOUT  WHITE  WOMEN  ADMITTING  A  NEGRO  TO  THEIR  PRIVATE 

APARTMENTS. 

[Clinton  Democrat.] 

"  Miss  Florence  Duncan,  the  little  blind  daughter  of  Rev.  H.  J.  Duncan,  of  this 
county,  while  here  on  vacation  this  summer,  told  friends  that  Jim  Young  was 
accustomed  to  inspect  the  White  Blind  Institution  almost  every  week  :  that  he 
went  through  all  the  departments,  vested  with  full  authority  to  give  orders  to  the 
white  lady  teachers  in  charge.  Miss  Duncan  said  all  this  was  considered  a  dis- 
grace and  a  shame.  This  comes  from  one  of  the  victims  of  the  infamy  which  fusion 
has  brought  upon  poor  old  North  Carolina. ' ' 

NUMBER  11  NAILED. 

CONGRESSMAN  FOWLER  SAYS  MISS  DUNCAN  DID  NOT  MAKE  THE 

STATEMENT. 

Hon.  John  E.  Fowler,  of  Clinton,  writes  that  the  statement  attributed  to  Miss 
Florence  Duncan,  a  blind  pupil,  that  she  saw  Jim  Young  on  his  tour  of  inspection 
at  the  white  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution,  is  incorrect — that  she  did  not  make  the 
statement. 

NUMBER  12. 

This  lie  is  the  crowning  glory  and  success  of  the  Democratic  Lying  Machine  for 
the  campaign  of  189S.  It  is  a  composite  sort  of  a  lie  in  that  it  is  made  up  of  false 
statements  and  lying  illustrations. 

It  consists  of  two  pictures  or  cartoons,  one  showing  a  negro  man  in  a  school 
room  with  a  white  lady  teacher  and  white  pupils,  and  the  other  showing  a  negro 
man  in  a  white  lady's  apartment  alone  with  the  lady.  The  lady  is  represented  as 
a  teacher  in  one  of  the  State  institutions.  In  this  composite  lie  there  are  numer- 
ous smaller  lies  which  go  to  make  up  the  whole.  They  may  be  mentioned  as  fol- 
lows :  • 

A  white  lady  submitting  to  the  inspection  of  her  private  apartments  by  a  negro, 
which  is  a  scoundrelly  and  villainous  slander.  A  white  lady  admitting  a  negro 
man  ai/dne  To  HER  apartment — a  worse  slander.  The  white  lady  makes  no 
protest — a  still  baser  and  more  vile  slander.  No  white  man  in  North  Carolina  who 
has  within  him  the  slightest  instinct  of  decency  could  ever  have  made  such  a  rep- 
resentation as  this.  No  white  lady  would,  for  a  moment,  stay  in  or  near  an  insti- 
tution that  tolerated  such  a  proceedure,  and  only  such  a  low,  sneaking,  cowardly, 
lying  machine  as  the  Democratic  press  of  this  State  could  have  ever  said  they 
would  and  did. 

And  a  seventh  feature  in  both  is  that  the  Democratic  Principal  of  the  institution 
silently  submits  to  what  the  "  pictures  "  portray.  Does  the  Democratic  Principal 
admit  all  this  as  a  fact  ?  If  he  does  not,  and  says  it  is  not  so,  then  somebody  has 
UED  OUTRAGEOUSLY. 

The  statement  under  one  of  the  pictures,  is  as  follows  : 

Jim  Young,  the  negro  politician,  is  at  the  head  of  the  Committee  on  Education 
in  the  State  White  Institution  for  the  Blind,  located  at  Raleigh.  It  is  the  duty  of 
that  committee  to  "endorse  or  prescribe  all  rules  or  regulations  for  the  GOVERN- 
MENT of  pupils  "  (white  blind  children ) ;  to  settle  all  ' '  questions  of  discipline  or  of 
misunderstanding  between  teacher  and  pupil,  or  teacher  and  Principal  "  (white 
teachers,  white  blind  children,  white  Principal);  "to  prepare  and  conduct,  in  con- 
junction with  the  Principal,  examination  of  teachers"   (white  teachers  to  teach 


white  blind  children);  it  is  required  by  section  5  that  "  the  Principal  (white  man) 
shall  report  to  Educational  Committee  (that  is  to  the  negro,  Jim  Young)  annually 
before  the  election  of  teachers  (white  teachers)  upon  the  work  of  the  several 
teachers,  their  relative  efficiency,  and  of  their  improvement  professionally,  and  the 
following  additional  power  is  conferred  upon  this  negro  politician  :  ' '  Teachers 
(white  ladies)  shall  instruct  their  pupils  under  the  direction  of  the  Principal  and 
the  Educational  Committee  (Jim  Young  is  the  Committee)  and  PERFORM  SUCK 
OTHER  DUTIES  AS  THEY  MAY  PRESCRIBE." 

The  statement  under  the  other  picture  is  this: 

"Jim  Young  CONTROLS  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  only  Institution  in  the  State 
at  which  the  white  blind  children  can  be  taught.  Article  4  of  the  by-laws  require  '  'the 
Committee  of  Inspection  to  visit  each  department  of  the  Institution  twice  every 
month,  and  make  a  written  report  to  the  Board."  It  is  the  custom  to  appoint  the 
members  of  the  Board  by  turns  on  the  Inspection  Committee,  who  shall  visit  the 
rooms  and  apartments  of  the  Institution,  make  an  inspection,  and  report  "  as  to 
their  condition."  This  picture  illustrates  the  power  conferred  upon  a  negro  poli- 
tician in  an  Institution  in  which  most  of  the  teachers  and  pnpils  are  white  ladies."' 

There  is  in  both  these  statements  the  evidence  of  a  tricky,  sneaking  liar  The 
pictures  show  ONE  Thing,  but  the  miserable  defamer  and  slanderer  dares  not  say 
in  words  what  he  tries  to  convey  by  illustration. 

His  pictures  slander  and  malign  every  white  lady  in  the  institution,  which  is  the 
Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  and  Blind. 

NUMBER  12  NAILED. 

Die  Number  12  is  effectively  nailed  by  the  statements  below.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  there  was  no  negro  on  the  Board  when  the  cartoons  were  made  and  sent  out. 

At  the  beginning  of  1897,  the  Board  was  controlled  by  Democrats,  and  B„  E. 
Montague,  Democrat,  was  chairman.  This  chairman  appointed  Young  at  one  time 
asan  inspector  of  the  Colored  Department  of  the  institution.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered that  there  are  two  departments — white  and  colored — and  that  they  are  about 
a  mile  apart,  but  both  are  under  the  management  of  one  Principal,  Mr..  Jno»„  E, 
Ray,  who  is  a  Democrat. 

Here  is  what  he  says  : 

"The  law  provides  for  a  Board  of  Trustees  of  seven  members  to  manage  the  affairs-- 
of  the  Institution.  The  Institution  over  which  I  have  the  honor  to  preside  as  prin- 
cipal is  divided  into  two  departments,  white  and  colored.  These  departments  are- 
in  separate  buildings,  on  opposite  sides  of  the  city  of  Raleigh,  nearly  a  mile  apart. 
In  selecting  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  be  confirmed  in  March,  1897,  Jas.  H.  Young 
was  selected,  probably,  with  the  view  of  HAVING  A  COLORED  REPRESENTA- 
TIVE ON  THE  BOARD  TO  GIVE  SPECIAL  ATTENTION  TO  THE  COLORED' 
DEPARTMENT.  Young  was  confirmed  with  the  others.  Of  course  he  met  with 
the  board,  and  it  was  his  privilege  to  vote  on  all  questions.  He  generally  voted 
with  his  party  friends,  otherwise  he  avoided  interference  with  the  management  of 
the  white  department.  He  never  came  there  except  to  attend  the  board  meetings 
more  than  two  or  three  times.  Then  he  saw  me  at  my  office,  politely  transacted 
his  business  and  retired.  I  don't  remember  that  he  ever  served  on  any  committee 
of  inspection  of  the  white  department.  To  me  he  seemed  to  studiously  avoid  doing 
or  saying  anything  that  would  in  the  least  embarrass  any  lady.  He  has  always 
been  respectful  to  me,  both  in  my  official  and  personal  dealings  with  him.  He  re- 
signed about  June  1st,  and  has  not  attended  a  board  meeting  in  three  months. 
There  is  not  notv  a  colored  representative  on  the  board.'1'1 

> 

[See?    Resigned  June  1st,  and  the  lying  cartoons  were  sent  out  in  August.] 


82 

Mr.  Wm.  Royall,  principal  instructor  of  the  white  department,  says  : 

I  have  always  been  treated  with  respect  and  courtesy.  Though  I  have  been  ab- 
sent from  no  duty  during  my  connection  with  the  Institution,  yet  I  have  never 
seen  Jas.  Young  within  its  walls,  or  known  of  his  being  there,  except  at  the  meet- 
ings of  the  board  in  the  Principal's  office.  As  an  instructor  in  the  white  blind  de- 
partment, I  have  had  no  reason  to  find  fault  with  the  general  management  at  any 
point.  As  far  as  my  knowledge  extends  I  feel  that  I  may  say  as  much  of  the 
management  as  a  whole. 

Miss  Laura  B.  Newsome,  lady  teacher  in  the  white  department,  says  : 

I  have  at  all  times  been  treated  with  due  respect  and  courtesy  ;  I  did  not  see  Jas. 
Young  the  entire  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  He  never 
entered  my  school-room  nor  did  I  see  him  while  employed  with  my  duties  as  a 
teacher;  I  never  heard  that  James  Young  made  his  presence  in  the  Institution  in 
any  way  offensive.  The  general  management  of  the  Institution  is  excellent,  every- 
thing working  in  perfect  harmony. 

And  there  are  now  on  file  similar  statements  from  the  following  officers  of  the 
white  department : 

Mrs.  L.  F.  Cosby,  teacher  ;  Miss  Maggie  Brumley,  teacher  ;  Mrs.  N.  J.  Simpson, 
music  teacher  ;  Miss  M.  H.  Davis,  teacher ;  Miss  Nina  C.  Parker,  teacher ;  Mrs. 
Meadows,  matron  ;  Miss  Lynnie  M.  Grubbs,  stenographer  ;  Miss  M.  E.  Moore, 
teacher  ;  Miss  Mary  D.  Schenck,  teacher  ;  Miss  T.  B.  Floyd,  teacher  ;  Miss  Mary 
P.  Wright,  teacher;  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Brinson,  assistant  music  teacher;  Mrs.  C.  W. 
Costner,  housekeeper ;  L.  D.  Speare,  carpenter ;  M.  D.  Sawyer,  engineer. 

The  Democratic  machine  press  might  have  gotten  the  truth  and  facts  from  these 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  but  it  did  not  want  facts.  It  wanted  to  lie,  ue,  and  it  has 
lied.  Even  now,  after  what  the  ladies  named  above  have  said,  that  same  Demo- 
cratic machine  press  will  continue  its  lying,  and  the  Democratic  machine  will  con- 
tinue to  circulate  its  slanderous  cartoons.  There  will  be  no  withdrawal  of  the 
statements  made  by  the  lying  press.  It  has  grossly  and  villaineously  slandered  the 
lady  officers  of  the  Institution,  and  this  same  contemptible,  scoundrelly  press  will 
stick  to  its  statement,  even  though  by  so  doing  it  declares  that  every  lady  named 
above  UES.  But  what  else  can  be  expected  of  such  an  infernal,  lying  horde  of 
political  plunderers  and  pirates  ? 

FALSE  IMPRESSIONS  ABROAD. 

One  bad  effect  of  the  lying  of  the  Democratic  machine  press  is  the  impression 
left  on  people  abroad  who  do  not  know  how  North  Carolina  is  cursed  with  such 
liars.     Here  is  an  illustration  : 

A  Kentucky  paper,  published  in  the  interest  of  the  Deaf,  Dumb  and  Blind,  wrote 
an  editorial  deploring  that  the  North  Carolina  Institution  had  fallen  into  bad  hands. 
The  editorial  was  based  upon  articles  appearing  in  our  State  papers  about  the 
institution.  But  the  editorial  was  so  far  from  the  truth  that  Principal  Ray  wrote 
a  reply  to  the  Kentucky  editor.  We,  reproduce  the  editorial  and  Mr.  Ray's  letter 
below : 

*  *  *  *  *  *  .      ,   *  *  *  * 

The  North  Carolina  School  for  the  Blind  and  Deaf  has  a  new  Board  of  Trustees, 
of  which  a  negro  politician  by  the  name  of  Young  has  been  made  chairman.  His 
appointment  has  given  great  offense  to  the  white  people  of  the  State,  and  stormy 
times  seem  to  be  in  store  for  the  school.     Our  old  superintendent,  Mr.  John  E. 


§3 

Ray,  is  the  head  of  the  school.     His  friends  in  Kentucky  regret  to  hear  of  the 

trouble. 

********** 

On  the  authority  of  one  of  the  leading  daily  papers  in  North  Carolina,  friendly  to 
Mr.  Ray,  and  professing  to  speak  by  the  card,  the  above  item  appeared  in  the 
Standard  last  week.  But  a  communication  from  Mr.  Ray,  who  should  certainly 
understand  the  situation  better  than  anyone  else,  states  that  things  are  by  no  means 
as  black  as  the  article  in  question  painted  them.  Though  a  majority  of  the  gov- 
erning  body  are  new  members,  several  old  ones  are  left.  The  negro  is  not  chair- 
man of  the  Board,  and  Mr.  Ray  does  not  apprehend  any  trouble  in  consequence  of 
the  change  in  the  Board.  It  gives  us  great  please  to  make  the  above  correction. 
It  is  a  misfortune  to  any  school  for  politics  to  get  into  it,  and  in  addition,  Mr. 
Ray  has  worked  with  a  zeal  and  earnestness  for  the  welfare  of  the  school  that 
deserves  well  at  the  hands  of  the  people  of  the  old  North  State.  It  is  to  be 
regretted,  though,  that  such  articles  as  the  one  in  question  should  appear  in  the 
leading  papers  ofjthe  State,  when  there  is  so  little  foundation  for  them.  They 
are  calculated  to  stir  up  bitterness  and  make  trouble  where  none  already  exists.' 

THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  INSTITUTION  TO-DAY. 

Principal  Ray  submitted  the  following  report  to  the  Board  at  their  November 
meeting: 

First  day  of  session,  1896,  there  were  enrolled  in  both  departments  about  188  (I 
say  "  about,"  because  no  exact  record  was  kept.) 

First  day  of  session,  1897,  in  both  departments,  actually  present,  231. 

First  day  of  October,  1896,  when  I  took  charge,  there  were  in  both  departments, 
208 — 97  whites  and  11 1  colored. 

First  day  of  October,  ^1897,  there  were  actually  present  in  both  departments, 
262 — 124  whites  and  138  colored. 

To-day  the  enrollment  is  127  whites  and  148  colored — 275,  and  yet  there  are  6 
more  expected  this  week. 

The  work  in  nearly  all  departments  of  both  Institutions  is  remarkably  satisfactory. 

Yours  sincerely, 

John  E.  Ray. 

This  report  shows  that  the  attendance  increased  from  188  in  1896,  to  275  in 
October,  1897,  an  increase  of  87  pupils.  These  275  pupils  were  supported  during 
the  school  year  of 1897- '98  upon  the  same  appropriations  as  -were  allotted  in  earlier 
years  when  the  attendance  was  less  by  87  pupils. 

IT  COULD  BE  TWELVE  HUNDRED. 

Above  are  presented  twelve  samples  lies  of  the  Democratic  machine.  Tvjelve 
hundred  could  easily  be  presented.  There  is  just  no  end  of  them.  It  is  outra- 
geous to  think  that  honest  men  and  gentlemen  can  be  attacked  and  lied  about  with 
impunity  by  such  a  raft  of  vicious  scoundrels  as  is  shown  to  exist  in  this  State  by 
the  above  samples.  The  people — the  honest  and  respectable  people  are  fast  getting 
tired  of  such  infernal  outrages  and  a  sentiment  is  rapidly  growing  in  favor  of 
peremptorily  ordering  them  to  stop,  and  if  they  won't  stop — to  STOP  them.  The 
State  has  been  maligned  and  slandered  enough  at  their  hands. 

THINK  UP  A  FEW  MORE. 

Any  one  who  reads  the  Democratic  machine  press  can  easily  recall  a  regular 
avalanche  of  its  lies  by  a  little  effort.  I 

There  was  the  lie  about  Judge  Robinson  stuffing  cotton  in  his  ears  to  keep  from 
hearing  a  legal  argument. 


84 

There  was  the  lie  about  Judge  Sutton  being  intoxicated,  which  was  launched  by 
the  Wilmington  contingent  of  the  Democratic  machine  press. 

There  is  the  lie  about  the  charge  Judge  Adams  made  at  Columbus  court. 

There  is  the  lie  about  Governor  Russell  riding  on  a  free  pass  and  asking  the  con- 
ductor to  "  wait  awhile  "  before  he  showed  it. 

There  is  the  lie  about  desecrating  and  ruining  the  Capitol  square,  when,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  square  is  more  handsome  and  in  better  shape  than  ever  before. 

There  was  the  lie  about  the  Governor  going  down  to  the  beech  on  Sunday  with 
certain  other  prominent  men  and  there  holding  a  political  caucus.  Full  details 
were  given  of  what  was  said  and  done,  with  particulars  of  time,  place  and  circum- 
stances. This  stuff  was  copied  in  the  goldfcmg  sheets  all  over  the  State.  It  was  all 
a  lie.  The  Governor  on  the  Sunday  mentioned  was  in  Raleigh.  There  was  no 
such  caucus. 

There  is  the  lie  about  John  R.  Smith  to  the  effect  that  his  salary  as  Commis- 
sioner of  Agriculture  was  increased  so  as  to  make  it  $2,500,  the  same  as  that  he  was 
receiving  as  Superintendent  of  the  State's  Prison.  This  lie  has  been  frequently 
exposed,  and  yet  their  papers  and  speakers  continue  to  tell  it  every  day.  The 
truth  is  that  Smith  receives  precisely  the  same  salary  paid  to  his  Democratic  pre- 
decessor, that  is,  $1, 800.  a  year,  the  salary  for  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 
which  was  fixed  under  Democratic  rule. 

There  is  the  lie  about  Governor  Russell  recommending  that  the  First  Regiment 
be  mustered  out  and  the  Second  Regiment  be  retained  in  service  for  "  political 
ends."     The  official  records  will  show  just  the  contrary. 

And  so  it  goes  on  day  after  day — lies,  lies,  LIES — a  mountainous  landslide  of 
them.  And  then  the  Democratic  machine  imports  some  specially  trained  thug 
from  another  State,  and  the  same  lies  that  are  told  here  are  scattered  all  over 
another  State.  Surely  there  was  never  anything  like  it  before.  The  slime  and 
filth  and  dirt  and  slander  of  this  miserable,  slandering  lying  Democratic  machine, 
are  all  squirted  and  thrown  at  public  men  of  unimpeachable  character ;  at  the 
judiciary  ;  at  the  public  institutions  ;  at  the  women  of  the  State.  Nothing  is 
respected  or  honored  by  this  disreputable  and  detestable  horde,  which  is  seeking  to 
foist  itself  into  a  position  that  will  enable  it  to  renew  the  plundering  and  jobbery 
and  thieving  of  which  it  is  so  clearly  shown,  in  these  pages,  to  be  guilty. 

And  now  note  carefully: 

While  all  this  lying  is  going  on,  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "  Nigger," 
with  the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  YOU  SEE? 


85 

CHAPTER  SEVENTEEN.. 

DEMOCRATS  APPOINT   NEGRO    "INVESTIGATORS"  FOR 

THE   DEAF  AND  DUMB  AND  BLIND  INSTITUTIONS, 

AND  AUTHORIZE  THE  APPOINTMENT  OF  NEGRO 

"DIRECTORS." 

A  gentleman  who  may,  for  the  time  being,  condescend  to  discuss  Lie  No.  12,  in 
the  foregoing  chapter  with  a  machine  Democrat,  can  make  it  mighty  interesting 
for  that  Democrat  if  he  chooses. 

Sections  2S53  to  2860  of  The  Code  define  the  powers  of  legislative  committees 
of  investigation.  The  rules  of  the  Legislature  require  the  appointment  of  a  com- 
mittee of  "Investigation"  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  and  Blind  Institution.  Any 
member  of  this  committee  has  full  power  to  send  for  persons  and  papers,  to  compel 
attendance,  to  administer  oaths,  and  it  is  the  invariable  rule  of  such  committees  to 
visit  and  "inspect"  and  "  investigate  "  the  institutions.  The  power  of  these  com- 
mittees is  supreme.     Nothing  is  higher  in  connection  with  the  institutions. 

Now,  let's  see  if  it  is  possible  to  start  this  hypocritical  Democratic  machine  press 
off  in  a  tornado  of  denunciation  of  its  own  crowd  for  appointing  what  it  is  pleased 
to  call  "  negro  inspectors,"  etc. 

Jn  the  House  Journal  of  1879,  Page  76,  it  appears  that  Stewart  Ellison  (colored) 
and  L.  T.  Christmas  (colored)  were  appointed  on  the  Committee  of  Investigation 
for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  and  Blind  Institutions.  Two  NEGROES  ON  This  COMMIT- 
TEE were  appointed  by  a  Democratic  Legislature,  of  which  Jno.  M.  Moring,  Demo- 
crat, was  Speaker.  Have  you  heard  the  Democratic  machine  press  raising  the  cry 
of  "  Nigger  ' '  over  this  action  ? 

In  the  Senate  Journal  of  1891,  page  75,  it  appears  that  L.  Alston  (colored),  of 
Warren  county,  was  appointed  on  the  "Committee  of  Investigation  "  for  the  Deaf 
and  Dum-b  and  Blind  Institutions.  Gov.  Thos.  M.  Holt  was  President  of  the 
Senate  that  made  this  appointment,  and  R.  M.  Furtnan,  ex-Democratic  Auditor, 
was  Secretary.  Have  you  heard  the  Democratic  machine  press  raising  the  cry  of 
•"  Nigger  "  over  this  action  ? 

In  the  House  Journal  of  1893,  page  33,  it  appears  that  J.  M.  Watson  (colored),  of 
Vance  county,  was  appointed  on  the  Committee  of  Investigation  for  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  and  Blind  Institutions.  (1893  was  the  last  year  in  which  the  Democratic 
machine  had  any  power,  and  note  now,  that  such  power  was  used  for  the  very 
purpose  which  the  machine  now  professes  to  condemn).  Lee  S.  Overman,  Demo- 
crat, of  Rowan  county,  was  Speaker  of  the  House  that  made  this  appointment,  and 
he  is  now  joining  in  the  ridiculous,  drivelling,  sneaking,  hypocritical  cry  of 
"Nigger." 

Just  compare  the  above-named  actions  of  the  Democratic  machine  with  its 
present  course.  Does  it  not  afford  conclusive  evidence  that  the  machine  is  seeking 
to  gain  by  sneaking  hypocrisy  and  disgusting  inconsistency  what  it  cannot  win  by 
truth  and  record? 


86 

A  DEMOCRATIC  LEGISLATURE  AUTHORIZES  AND  "REQUESTS"  THE 
APPOINTMENT  OF  NEGRO  DIRECTORS. 

While  the  Democratic  machine  press  is  making  such  a  great  ado  over  the  fact 
that  a  negro  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  "  Board  of  Directors  "  of  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb  and  Blind  Institution,  is  it  not  strange — very  strange; — that  this  same 
press  does  not  condemn,  its  own  machine  for  AUTHORIZING  and  REQUESTING 
such  appointments  ?  Why  should  this  press  condemn  any  procedure  which  its 
own  machine  declares  for  ? 

The  Legislature  of  1883  was  Democratic — intensely  Democratic.  There  were 
about  two  Democrats  to  one  of  any  other  party.  And  yet  that  Democratic  Legis- 
lature passed  the  following  resolution  : 

A  RESOLUTION  CONCERNING  THE  COLORED  CHARITA- 
BLE INSTITUTIONS  OF  THE  STATE. 

"RESOLVED  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENT ATIVES,  THE  SENATE 
CONCURRING:  THAT  IN  THE  APPOINTMENT  OF  DIRECTORS  IN  THE 
COLORED  INSANE  ASYLUM  AND  THE  INSTITUTION  FOR  THE  COLORED 
DEAF  AND  DUMB  AND  BLIND,  THE  COLORED  RACE  SHOULD  HAYE 
SOME  REPRESENTATION,  AND  THE  AUTHORITIES  ARE  REQUESTED 
TO  APPOINT  SOME  SUITABLE  AND  WORTHY  REPRESENTATIVE  COL- 
ORED  MEN  TO  SUCH  POSITIONS.  • 

"IN  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  READ  THREE  TIMES,  AND  RATIFIED 
THIS  THE  12TH  DAY  OF  MARCH,  A.  D.,  1883." 

(See  Laws  1883,  page  621.) 

This  resolution  is  practically  mandatory  and  is  in  force  and  effect  to-day. 

So,  one  by  one  the  frail  props  of  the  "  issue  "  raised  by  the  Democratic  machine 
snap  and  crash.  There  is  nothing  which  that  .machine  professes  to  condemn,  of 
which  it  has  not  been  egregiously  guilty.     Extended  comment  is  not  necessary. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  there  has  never  been  but  ONE  combined  INSTITU- 
TION for  The  Deaf  and  Dumb  and  The  Bund  in  the  State.  That  Institution  is 
divided  into  Two  departments — one  white,  the  other  colored.  Both  have  always 
been  under  the  management  of  one  Board  of  Directors.  A  Democratic  Legis- 
lature REQUESTS  the  appointment  of  negroes  on  that  Board,  and  when  such  an 
appointment  is  made,  Democrats  raise  a  grand  whooping-cry  of  ' '  Nigger. ' '  The 
fact  and  the  example  speak  for  themselves. 

And  now  note  carefully  : 

While  all  this  is  going  on,  the  Democratic  machine  is  squalling  "  Nigger,"  with 
the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  SEE  ? 


87 

CHAPTER  EIGHTEEN. 

THE  TWINS  OF  DEFAMATION. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  in  the  foregoing  pages  to  a  matter  which  will 
be  mentioned  more  particularly  here.  The  Democratic  machine  press  is  copying 
and  scattering  from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the  other  a  vile  and  slanderous  edito- 
rial that  appeared  in  a  negro  paper  at  Wilmington .  The  condemnation  of  such  an 
utterance  is  emphatically  proper,  but  condemnation  in  this  case  has  grown  to  be  a 
revel  with  the  Democratic  machine  press.  The  greatest  end  it  has  in  view  is  to 
make  "  political  capital  "  out  of  it,  and  this  same  detestable,  disgusting  press 
would  only  be  too  glad  if  two  or  three  more  negroes  would  write  two  or  three 
more  such  scandalous  effusions.  They  would  immediately  be  taken  up  and  reveled 
in  as  "  campaign  thunder ' '  in  the  effort  being  made  to  hide  incompetence  and 
rascality  behind  the  cry  of  "  Nigger." 

Not  very  long  ago  there  was  another  vile,  slanderous  article  in  another  paper  in 
this  State  ;  but  there  has  never  been  a  word  of  condemnation  or  denunciation  of  it 
by  the  Democratic  machine  press.  Why?  Because  the  slanderous  scandal  was 
printed  by  a  Democratic  machi?ie paper.     Do  YOU  See? 

Now,  let  the  two  defamations  appear  side  by  side.     See  how  they  compare  : 

WHAT  THE  NEGRO  DEMOCRATIC       WHAT  THE  WHITE  DEMOCRATIC 
EDITOR  OF  THE  WILMINGTON  EDITOR      OF      THE      RALEIGH 

RECORD  WROTE.  NEWS  AND  OBSERVER  WROTE. 

"Poor  white  men  are  careless  in  the  "Soon  she  grew  accustomed   to  the 

matter  of  protecting  their  women,  espec-       negro's    presence,    and    later,   as    her 
ially  on  farms.     They  are  careless  about       father  was  away  for  days  and  weeks, 
their  conduct  toward  them,  and  our  ex-       Bessie  began  to  welcome  the  presence  of 
perience  among   poor  white  people  in      the  negro,  and  look  upon  him  as  a  pro- 
the  country  teaches  us  that  the  women       tector.     Then  something  happened.    It 
of  that  race  are  not  any  more  particular      is  useless  to  say  that  it  is  the  old  story 
in,  the  matter  of  clandestine  meetings       of  a  weak  woman  tempted." 
with  colored  men  than  are   the  white 
men  with  colored  women.     Meetings  of 
this  kind  go  on   for  some   time    until 
the  woman's  infatuation  or  the  man's 
boldness,  brings  attention  to  them,  and 
the  man  is  lynched  for  rape.     Every 
negro  lynched  is   called  a  big,  burly, 
black  brute,  when  in  fact  many  of  those 
who   have   thus   been   dealt   with   had 
white  men  for  their  fathers,  and  were 
not  only  not   "black"   and   "burly," 
but  were  sufficiently  attractive  for  white 
girls  of  culture  and  refinement  to  fall  in 
love  with  them,  as  is  well  known  to  all. " 

Doesthe  reader  pause  ?  No  wonder  !  The  indescribable  aud  terrific  outrageous- 
ness  of  this  "  sweet-scented  "  pair  of  defamers  is  enough  to  shock  one  to  a  stand- 
still. A  negro  Democrat  defames  the  women  of  the  State  in  a  general  way.  A 
white  Democrat  offers  and  asserts  proof  of  what  the  negro  Democrat  says. 
The  Democratic  machine  press  makes  an  awful  outcry  over  what  the  negro  Demo- 
crat says.     The  Democratic  machine  press  is  silent  as  death  over  what  the  white 


Democrat  says.     These  are  two  "  Twins  of  Defamation."     Why  should  one  escape 

being  damned  any  more  than  the  other  ? 

Do  you  believe  now,   Oh  reader,  that  this  rotten  Democratic  machine  press  is 

' '  flying  to  the  rescue, "  or  do  you  believe  it  is  seeking  to  intensify  the  cry  of 

' '  Nigger  ' '  for  the  purpose  of  hiding  its  villainy  ? 

Let  us  offer  one  more  test  of  the  "  honesty  "  of  the  "  Democratic  machine  press." 
It  has  been  published  in  the  press,  and  sustained  by  the  affidavits  of  ladies  of  the 

highest  character  that  a  now  famous  preacher,  named  John  C.  Kilgo,  in  a  lecture 

delivered  at  Roxboro  made  this  assertion  : 

"  The  average  woman  can  be  i,Ed  any  where  with  a  diamond  ring." 

Where,  Oh  where,  was  the  Democratic  machine  press  when  this  libel  and  slander 
on  the  women  was  uttered  ?  It  is  perhaps  couched  in  more  elegant  language  than 
other  slanders,  because  it  comes  from  a  "higher  source,"  but  it  is  none  the  less 
vile  and  villainous.  But  where,  Oh  where,  was  the  valiant  (?),  the  gallant  (?),  the 
defending  (?)  Democratic  press  when  it  was  spoken?  Ah,  cowards!  knaves!  viper- 
ous, vermin-like  hypocrites!!  Jump  on  a  negro  for  defamation.  Right,  very 
right.  But  why  sneak  away  like  so  many  cowardly  curs  when  men,  who  make 
some  claim  to  be  white  men,  indulge  in  the  same  defamation  ? 

The  answer  to  all  is  that  the  outrageous,  low  and  vile  machine  press  thinks  it 
sees  "  campaign  thunder  "  in  one,  and  no  campaign  thunder  in  the  other. 

Do  you  believe  now,  Oh  reader,  that  this  rotten  Democratic  machine  press  is 
4i  flying  to  the  rescue,"  or  do  you  believe  it  is  seeking  to  intensify  the  cry  of  "  Nig- 
ger "  for  the  purpose  of  hiding  its  villainy  ?  > 


89 

CHAPTER  NINETEEN.   * 

DEMOCRATIC  "NEGRO  RULE"  IN  CRAVEN  COUNTY. 

It  is  clear  that  the  Democratic  machine  in  Craven  county  is  making  desperate 
efforts  to  hide  the  ' '  negro  rule  ' '  which  it  inaugurated  and  kept  in  force  there  for 
years  by  the  frantic  cry  of  "  Nigger  "  that  it  is  now  making.  There  is  no  neces- 
sity for  particularizing,  at  length,  the  Democratic  machine  record.  Here  are  some 
of  the  facts. 

The  late  Democratic  Sheriff  had  two  colored  deputies.  They  were  R.  R.  Davis 
and  David  Barrom.  Barrom  was  also  the  jailer.  J.  P.  Stanley,  colored,  was  con- 
stable by  election  and  grace  of  the  Democratic  machine. 

Miles  Shepard,  colored,  was  on  the  Democratic  ticket ',  and  was  elected  and  put 
in  the  office  of  Coroner  of  Craven  county. 

The  Democratic  Board  of  County  Commissioners  elected  the  following  negroes  as 
"road  overseers"  for  white  men  to  work  under:  Peter  Petaway,  in  No.  3  township; 
Amos  Koonce,  in  No.  8  township;  George  Artis,  in  No.  9  township. 

Among  the  numerous  negro  magistrates  appointed  by  the  Democratic  machine 
were  Alexander  Bass  and  Jesse  Brooks. 

DEMOCRATIC  NEGRO  SCHOOL  COMMITTEEMEN. 

E.  R.  Dudley,  a  negro,  has  been  elected  by  Democrats  as  school  committeeman 
for  Newbern,  in  No.  8  Township,  for  many  years,  and  has  had  to  sign  all  the  school 
vouchers  for  the  white  teachers  of  Newbern.  General  Battle,  an  ex-Confederate 
soldier,  had  to  appeal  to  this  Democratic  pet  to  elect  his  daughter,  who  was  the 
support  of  the  family,  when  she  was  about  to  be  thrown  out  by  the  Democratic 
machine.     Dudley  voted  for  her  and  she  was  retained. 

DEMOCRATS  MIX  UP  WHITE  AND  COLORED  TEACHERS  INDISCRIMI- 
NATELY. 

In  1885  or  1886,  B.  F.  Grady,  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  for  Duplin 
county,  held  a  Normal  Institute  for  the  teachers  of  the  county  in  the  Court  House 
at  Kenansville.  Both  white  and  colored  teachers  attended,  and  were  taught  in  the 
same  room  and  the  same  class  by  this  Grady,  who  was  and  is  a  Democrat.  The 
teachers  of  both  races  were  so  near  together  that  a  white  lady  teacher  found  it  con- 
venient to  call  on  Amos  McCullough,  a  colored  man  and  teacher,  to  sharpen  her 
pencil — he  being  nearer  to  her  than  anyone  else.  At  the  same  "Normal  Insti- 
tute "  a  white  lady  and  a  negro  woman  sat  at  the  same  table  writing  together. 
Since  this  occurrence,  this  same  Grady  and  his  action  have  been  endorsed  by  Dem- 
ocrats, who  elected  him  to  Congress  for  two  terms,  and  he  is  yet  a  regular  machine 
gold-bug  Democrat.  The  Secretary  of  this  "  Normal  Institute  "  was  a  Democrat, 
and  he  has  been  since  then  elected  to  the  Legislature  twice  by  Democrats. 

NEGRO  ROAD  OVERSEERS  IN  ROBESON  COUNTY. 

Democratic  regime  appointed  negroes  as  road-overseers  in  Robeson  county, 
among  them  being  Needham  McEachern,  in  Blue  Springs  township,  and  white 
men  had  to  work  under  them  or  hire  substitutes. 

DEMOCRATS  APPOINT  NEGRO  "ROAD   OVERSEERS"   IN- DUPLIN. 

The  county  of  Duplin  is  one  in  which  negro  road  overseers  have  been  appointed 
for  white  men  to  work  under.  In  Faison  township,  Simon  Loften,  colored,  was 
appointed  by  H.  D.  Hicks,  white  Democrat. 

NEGRO  ROAD  OVERSEERS  IN  WARREN  COUNTY. 

The  Democratic  machine  always  appointed  negroes  as  road  overseers  in  Warren 
county.  Among  them  were  Gustin  Alston,  Hanson  Williams,  Ed.  Lewis  and  others, 
and  white  men  had  to  work  under  them. 

NOTE. — The  appointment  of  negro  overseers  by  the  Democratic  machine  was 
notoriously  common.     There  is  neither  space  nor  necessity  for  but  few  examples. 

And  now  note  carefully  :  $ 

While  all  this  was  going  on  the  Democratic  machine  was  squalling  ' '  Nigger  ' '  with 
the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  you  SEE  ? 


90 

CHAPTER  TWENTY. 

AH  THERE!  PRETTY  POPULIST!!  COME  ALONG  POPULIST. 

POPULIST  WANT  A  CRACKER  ?  COME  POPULIST! 

WONT  THE  PRETTY  POPULIST  COME  ? 

The  "secret  circular"  of  Democratic  Chairman  F.  M.  Simmons,  which  was  in- 
tended to  disfranchise  voters  in  1892,  and  which  did  disfranchise  thousands  is  well 
remembered  by  the  people.  That  circular  was  in  the  nature  of  a  "  force  bill  "  or 
a  "  packed  game. "  Such  a  game  could  be  played  then  because  the  Democratic 
machine  had  charge  of  the  ballot  boxes,  registration  books,  etc.,  which  could  be 
manipulated  pretty  much  as  the  machine  directed. 

Well,  another  "  secret  circular"  is  out  by  the  same  Democratic  machine  Chair- 
man for  the  year  of  grace  1898.  But  what  a  change!  There  is  no  force  of  bull- 
dozing in  it.  There  is  no  "packed  scheme"  in  it,  all  because  present  conditions 
will  not  permit  such  things. 

Of  all  the  snivelling,  absurd,  ridiculous  boot-licking  documents  ever  issued,  this 
last  Simmons  secret  circular  is  about  the  most  pronounced.  It  be^s  and  pleads 
and  whines  and  whimpers  with  Populists  to  come  to  the  aid  of  the  Democratic  ma- 
chine, after  the  machine  had  done  everything  it  could  to  insult  the  Populists  and 
slapped  them  in  the  face.  _, 

No  Populist  now  worthy  of  the  name,  or  who  ever  has  been  worthy  of  the  name, 
can  regard  this  secret  circular  with  anything  but  ridicule,  fun  and  laughing  con- 
tempt. The  very  idea  of  a  machine  Democrat  trying  to  "  influence  "  a  true  Popu- 
list!! It  gives  us  the  "funny  grins."  Here  is  an  extract  from  the  "  secret  circu- 
lar :" 

Dear  Sir  ; — I  know  you  to  be  a  zealous  Democrat,  anxious  for  the  success  of 
your  party,  because  it  means  good  government  and  white  supremacy,  things  of  the 
greatest  moment  to  every  honest  man  in  the  State.  As  Chairman  of  the  State  Com- 
mittee, I  want  to  make  a  personal  and  urgent  appeal  to  you  to  exert  every  effort 
just  at  this  time  to  try  to  persuade  your  Populist  friends  that  it  is  their  duty  to 
themselves,  their  families  and  their  neighbors  to  help  us  in  this  supreme  struggle 
to  save  the  State  from  negroism  and  the  recklessness  of  the  men  that  now  control 
it.  I  firmly  believe  that  more  good  can  be  done  with  our  Populist  friends,  many 
of  whom  are  now  wavering,  because  they  love  their  families  and  love  their  State, 
because  they  are  honest  and  do  not  wish  to  do  anything  which  they  know  will  hurt 
their  State  just  at  this  time,  than  at  any  other  stage  of  the  campaign.  They, are 
wavering  now,  and  hence  it  is  the  opportune  time  to  approach  them  upon  the  sub- 
ject and  their  duty.  Now,  let  me  beg  you  that  if  there  be  such  in  your  neighbor- 
hood or  within  your  acquaintance,  that  you  will  see  him  and  talk  with  him,  as  a 
neighbor  and  a  friend,  about  this  matter.  It  will  do  more  good  than  literature  or 
public  speaking.  It  is  the  way,  and  the  chief  way,  for  us  to  get  back  these  honest 
men  who  have  left  our  party  and  joined  the  Populist  party.  Again  let  me  ask  you 
that  during  the  month  of  August — for  this  is  the  best  month  for  us  to  work — that 
you  will  put  forth  especial  efforts  with  your  friends  and  neighbors,  whether  of  the 
Republican  or  of  the  Populist  party,  to  bring  them  to  a  realization  of  the  danger  of 
continuing  the  present  undesirable  condition  of  public  affairs  in  North  Carolina  ; 
that  you  will  use  your  personal  effort  to  arouse  interest  in  this  election  wherever 
you  find  a  lukewarm  or  indifferent  Democrat.  I  believe  we  are  going  to  carry  the 
State,  but  I  am  satisfied  if  we  do  carry  the  State  that  we  have  got  to  carry  it  by  the 
individnal  efforts  of  earnest  and  active  Democrats  like  yourself.  It  is  the  quiet, 
personal  work  of  such  men  as  you  that  we  rely  upon  in  this  campaign.  I  know 
this  appeal  to  you  will  not  be  in  vain.  When  the  last  day  of  August  expires,  I 
believe  the  election  will  be  lost  or  won  in  North  Carolina.  "  As  the  tree,  falls,  so 
it  lies."     Before  men  have  taken  their  position  firmly  is  the  time  to  win  them. 

Please,  if  you  have  time,  write  me  a  letter  and  let  me  know  what  are  the  condi- 
tions in  your  section,  what  our  friends  are  doing,  and  what  you  are  accomplishing 
in  the  line  of  work  that  I  have  herein  especially  requested  you  to  pursue. 

Very  truly,  F.  M.  Simmons,  Chairman. 


91 

CHAPTER  TWENTY-ONE. 

BURNING  PROOF  OF  THE  STATEMENTS  IN  ANOTHER 

CHAPTER. 

Since  the  writing — indeed  since  the  printing — of  the  chapter  on  the  Penitentiary 
in  this  pamphlet,  there  has  been  reported  an  occurrence  which  emphasizes  and 
clamps  the  seal  of  proof  on  the  statements  set  forth  in  that  chapter.  A  convict  has 
died  on  one  of  the  Penitentiary  farms,  and  it  appears  quite  clear  that  his  death  was 
caused  by  brutal  whippings  and  beatings.  Jim  Lowe  is  the  dead  convict,  and  Jim 
Sears  is  the  name  of  the  guard  who  administered  the  whippings.  Inasmuch  as  the 
disgraceful  and  barbarous  affair  occurred  during  the  present  administration,  it  is 
easy  to  suppose  and  natural  to  conclude  that  the  present  administration  is  respon- 
sible for  it.  Well,  let  that  conclusion  rest,  but  LET  THE  FACTS  in  The  case  be 
known. 

Reference  to  the  Penitentiary  reports  for  1893,  1894  and  1895  will  show  that  J. 
Sears  (the  name  appears  as  James  and  Joe),  was  an  employee  of  the  Democratic 
regime  for  those  years.  In  1896,  the  name  of  "  N.  Sears  "  appears,  and  it  is  well 
known  that  a  man  named  Sears  was  under  Supervisor  Mclver  (Democrat),  for  a 
number  of  years.  All  these  names  undoubtedly  apply  to  the  same  individual, 
the  changes  being  probably  due  to  typographical  errors. 

Unless  he  had  been  a  Democrat,  he  could  not  have  held  employment  under  a 
Democratic  management.  In  some  inscrutable  way  this  man  seems  to  have  been 
retained  as  a  guard  or  overseer  by  the  present  management,  and  his  retention 
has  brought  disgrace  on  his  retainers  and  employers. 

Superintendent  Mewboorne,  of  the  Penitentiary,  was  advised  of  the  convict's 
death  by  Dr.  H.  B.  Furgerson,  and  the  following  is  an  extract  from  his  letter  : 

Halifax,  N.  C,  Sept.  6,  1898. 
Col.   J.  M.   Meivboorne, 

Dear  Sir  : — I  reported  the  death  the  next  morning  in  my  monthly  report.  The 
facts  are  these  :  Jim  Lowe  was  a  well  convict  ;  he  was  brought  in  from  the  field 
Thursday  evening  dead.  I  examined  him  and  found  that  he  had  been  whipped,  by 
the  marks  on  his  body,  legs,  chest  and  head.  I  then  made  a  post-mortem  examina- 
tion. I  examined  his  hair,  heart,  etc. ,  but  did  not  find  anything  sufficient  to  cause 
instant  death.  My  opinion  is  that  death  was  produced  by  over-heat,  and  I  under- 
stand that  Jim  Sears  gave  him  two  or  three  whippings  during  the  day,  and  by 
such  force  did  cause  his  death.  Mr.  Summerell  dischargfd  him  at  once, 
and  I  think  he  left  the  county.  He  and  the  balance  of  the  overseers  had 
been  given  positive  instructions  only  a  short  while  ago  not  to  whip 
any  convict.  I  write  this  so  that  you  may  take  any  action  you  may  see  fit.  Any 
information  in  regard  to  this  case  that  I  can  give,  will  be  glad  to  do  so.  I  think 
this  a  very  aggravated  and  brutal  affair,  and  told  Sears  so  as  soon  as  I  made  the 
examination  of  the  man.  Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)  H.  B.  Furgerson. 

Now,  the  natural  conclusions  are  these  :  Jim  Sears  is  brutal  and  pitiless  enough 
to  whip  to  death  a  helpless  man.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Democratic  man- 
agement for  several  years,  and  this  is  conclusive  evidence  of  the  existence  of  brutal 
and  barbarous  deeds  under  that  management. 

He  had  been  instructed  not  to  whip  convicts  a  short  time  ago,  but  disobeyed 
his  instructions.  It  must  have  been  that  he  could  not  long  refrain  from  old  customs. 
'  The  present  administration  made  the  grand  mistake  of  retaining  a  Democrat,  for 
which  it  must  partially  suffer  the  odium  that  attached  to  Democratic  machine 
Penitentiary  management — all  because  of  THE  retention  of  a  Democrat  is 
official  service.  Imprudence  and  misdeeds  bring  their  own  punishment,  and 
here  is  a  living  illustration  of  it. 

The  only  thing  the  present  administration  can  now  do  is  to  bring  this  brutal  mis- 
creant to  justice.  An  effort  to  that  end  is  being  made.  A  warrant  has  been  issued 
for  his  arrest,  and  if  caught  he  will  be  prosecuted  to  the  utmost.  This  is,  perhaps, 
the  only  instance  on  record  in  this  State  in  which  an  effort  has  been  made  to  arrest 
a  Penitentiary  employee  for  brutality  to  convicts.  If  there  is  such  another  instance, 
it  has  not  been  made  public. 


92 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-TWO. 

f 

HOW  THE  MACHINE  AND  THE  MACHINE  PRESS  WORK 

TOGETHER. 

Jobbery  and  plunder  are  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  Democratic  machine 
and  its  press.  They  work  together  for  boodle  and  pelf,  as  has  already  been  shown, 
and  here  is  another  little  illustration. 

In  1887,  the  Democratic  machine  Legislature  established  a  "  Shell  Fish  Com- 
mission." The  business  of  the  Commission  was  to  survey  certain  "  oyster  lands," 
etc.,  and  to  publish  the  account  of  their  survey  in  certain  newspapers  The  fees 
received  from  "entries"  of  these  lands  were  to  be  applied  to  the  EXPENSES  of 
the  Commission.  This  whole  procedure  was  a  scheme  to  put  money  into  the 
pockets  of  the  machine  generally,  though  it  did  not  "  pan  out"  as  profitable  as  it 
was  supposed  it  would. 

The  records  show  that  the  receipts  from  "  entries"  under  this  law  were $835.84. 
This  money  was  divided  up  among  certain  newspapers  as  follows  : 

News  and  Observer $293  00 

•    Elizabeth  City  Economist 50  00 

New  Berne  Journal 75  00 

Fisherman  and  Farmer   , 30  00 

Wilmington  Messenger 234  00 

Total $682  00 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  most  disreputable,  false  and  slanderous  machine  papers 
in  the  State  got  the  "  lion's  share"  of -this  deal,  viz. :  the  Neivs  and  Observer  and 
the  Wilmington  Messenger. 

The  "  divy  "  only  left  $153.84  of  the  fund  realized,  and  the  Shell  Fish  Commis- 
sion "  kicked  "  on  such  a  small  amount  to  be  divided  among  themselves.  So,  in 
1889,  the  Democratic  machine  Legislature  passed  a  law  appropriating  $150  addi- 
tional for  each  member  of  the  Commission,  and  thus  the  deal  was  completed, 
although  it  evidently  fell  far  short  of  what  the  machine  and  its  papers  expected. 

This  is  given  as  an  additional  illustration  of  the  jobbery,  trickery  and  pillage  of 
which  the  Democratic  machine  is  continuously  guilty  when  it  is  in  power. 

And  now  note  carefully  : 

While  all  such  as  this  was  going  on,  the  machine  was  squalling  "  Nigger,"  with 
the  purpose  of  diverting  the  attention  of  the  people  from  it. 

Do  You  See  ? 


93 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-THREE. 

GENERAL  DEMOCRATIC  INCOMPETENCE. 

Among  the  many  vicious  efforts  of  the  Democratic  machine  press  has  been  one 
to  magnify  every  failure  to  dot  an  I  or  cross  a  T  by  anti-Democrats,  and  to  pro- 
claim in  consequence  thereof  the  incompetency  of  a  "fusion"  Legislature,  etc. 
It  is  known  by  those  acquainted  with  the  methods  and  course  of  legislation  that 
nearly  all  the  mistakes  to  be  found  in  the  laws  are  directly  attributable  to  the  en- 
grossment and  enrollment  of  the  bills.  Let  us  see  by  Democratic  authority  if  this 
is  not  true.  Octavius  Coke,  Secretary  of  State,  in  his  report  to  Governor  Holt. 
December  1,  1892,  has  this  to  say  in  reference  to  Democratic  Legislatures  : 

I  feel  it  my  duty  to  call  to  your  attention  the  evils  following  from  the  enroll- 
ment of  the  bills  passed  by  the  Legislature.  These  bills,  in  many  cases,  are  so  dis- 
figured by  erasures  and  blots  as  make  them  almost  illegible.  Omissions  of  one  or 
more  words  in  other  bills  have  lost,  in  one  case,  considerable  revenue  to  the  State, 
and  in  others  have  destroyed  the  real  purpose  of  the  statute  and  impaired  the 
rights  of  individuals.  , 

(See  Public  Documents,  Session  1893,  of  the  Legislature.) 

Many  instances  could  be  cited  in  proof  of  Capt.  Coke's  statement. 

Take  Scarborough  v.  Robinson.  81  N.  C,  409.  This  was  a  bill  to  consolidate 
and  revise  the  Public  School  Law  of  the  State.  It  passed  its  several  readings  in 
the  House  and  Senate,  was  duly  enrolled  and  ratified,  as  app  ars  from  the  Journals 
of  the  two  Houses,  and  transmitted  to  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State.  It  was  soon 
discovered  that  it  had  not  been  signed  by  the  presiding  officers.  Mr.  Scarbo- 
rough, Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  applied  for  a  mandamus  to  compel 
Robinson,  President  of  the  Senate,  and  Moring,  Speaker  of  the  House,  to  sign  the 
said  act  after  the  Legislature  of  1879  had  adjourned.  Judge  Eure  ordered  the 
writ  to  issue  as  prayed  for.  But  the  Supreme  Court  declared  that  there  was  error 
in  this  judgment.  Thus  by  carelessness,  or  as  the  Democrats  would  say,  by  gross 
incompentency,  a  very  important  law,  if  not  the  most  important  law,  of  that  Leg- 
islature became  a  dead  letter.     "Oh  !  consistency,  thou  art  a  jewel !" 

Numerous  other  instances  of  Democratic  blunders — gross,  criminal  blunders — 
could  be  cited  did  space,  patience  and  charity  permit. 

TOLERANCE  vs.  INTOLERANCE. 

Under  the  administration  of  the  Democratic  Governors — especially  of  Elias 
Carr,  who  joined  the  Farmer's  Alliance,  and  by  means  of  it  got  to  be  elected  Gov- 
ernor, and  then  betrayed  them — no  Populist  or  Republican  could  be  appointed  to 
the  little  office  of  Notary  Public.  There  was  scarcely  one  in  the  State.  Indeed 
not  even  a  Democrat  could  be  appointed,  unless  he  was  recommended  by  the 
Chairman  of  the  Democratic  machine  in  the  county  where  he  lived. 

Under  the  present  administration,  pretty  much  every  man  who  has  got  intelli- 
gence is  appointed  upon  his  application  and  reasonable  proof  of  capacity.  The 
Governor  has  frequently,  no  doubt,  appointed  some  of  the  meanest  and  bitterest 
Democratic  howlers,  and  given  them  commissions  as  Notaries  Public,  and  these 
very  men  would  rise  in  rebellion  again=t  a  Democratic  Governor  who  would 
appoint  a  Populist  or  Republican. 


CHAPTER  TWENTY-FOUR. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  conclusion  of  this  pamphlet  by  no  means  concludes  or  exhausts  what  might 
be  told  of  the  incompetence,  jobbery,  hypocrisy  and  dishonesty  of  the  Democratic 
machine.  The  purpose  has  not  been  to  tell  all  that  could  be  told,  for  the  length 
of  the  recital  would  take  more  time  than  is  necessary  to  convince  the  intelligent 
and  honest  voter  of  "his  duty.  The  object  has  been  to  give  a  few  illustrations  of 
the  general  practice  of  the  Democratic  machine. 

It  has  been  shown  that  this  machine  has  no  respect  for  the  sanctity  of  the  ballot. 

It  has  been  shown  that  this  machine  has  looted  and  robbed  and  plundered  the 
State  when  in  power,  and  attempted  to  do  the  same  thing  when  out  of  power. 

It  has  been  shown  that  this  machine  has  been  grossly  incompetent  and  barba- 
rously cruel. 

It  has  been  shown  that  under  the  present  administration  the  affairs  of  State  are 
being  better  managed  than  ever  before. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  Democratic  machine  has  resorted  to  the  cry  of 
"Nigger"  in  the  hope  that  it  will  be  able  to  arouse  the  most  devilish  prejudice 
and  inflame  the  wildest  passions,  and  by  this  to  hide  what  has  been  exposed  in 
these  pages. 

That  this  last  effort  must  fail  ignominiously  is  as  plain  as  the  noon-day  sun. 
It  effects  no  one  of  intelligence  and  character.  The  women  of  the  State  are  clearly 
seeing  through  the  attempted  scheme  and  deception.  This  is  manifested  by  what 
they  are  saying  and  writing,  and  absolute  proof  of  this  statement  is  accessible. 
A  lady  recently  wrote  a  strong  essay  on  this  very  matter,  and  its  presentation  here 
shall  be  the  conclusion  of  this  little  document. 

NEGRO  SUPREMACY. 

An  E,ssay  Read  Before  Bertie  County  Alliance  by  Mrs.  Sarah 

E.  Mitchell. 

Mr.  President,  Brethren  and  Sisters: 

Perhaps  some  of  you  may  be  thinking  that  this  subject  is  quite  foreign  to  the 
Alliance,  and  may  be  wondering  why  so  strange  a  topic  should  be  chosen  on  this 
occasion. 

But  if  you  will  just  consider  a  few  moments,  you  will  easily  remember  when 
there  was  such  a  panic  among  the  people  concerning  this  fearful  and  wonderful 
bugbear,  that  the  Alliance  lost  many  of  its  members. 

Every  one  of  you  whose  hair  is  whitening,  knows  that  when  the  negioes  were 
first  emancipated,  and  given  the  franchise,  that  the  Southern  States  were  overrun 
with  men  from  the  North,  or  elsewhere,  going  among  the  negroes  and  advising 
them  to  vote  for  the  Republican  party— "  the  party  that  freed  you,"  they  said — and 
warning  them  that  if  the  Democratic  party  remained  in  power,  the  negroes  would 
be  put  back  into  slavery.  This  sounded  plausible  to  the  ignorant  colored  men,  , 
and  they  were  quickiy  proselyted,  and  that  so  securely  that  they  vote  the  same 
ticket  until  the  present  time,  although  they  know  that  the  Democratic  party  has 
been  in  power  in  the  Southern  States  during  all  these  years,  and  no  one  has  ever 
heard  of  anything  like  ''  going  back  into  slavery." 

Now,  these  men  were  evidently  hired  and  sent  on  this  mission,  and  it  is  quite 
probable  that  some  of  the  most  influential  negroes  may  have  received  bribes,  for 
we  have  not  forgotten  that  they  started  in  life  remarkably  well,,  considering  the 
■circumstances. 


95 

Well,  at  the  same  time  this  other  cry  of  "  negro  equality,"  "  negro  supremacy," 
"negro  domination."  was  heard  in  the  land. 

All  this  was  part  ot  the  deep-laid  plots  and  plans  of  plutocracy  to  ruin  this  free 
government,  in  order  that  the  farmers  and  laborers,  both  white  and  colored,  might 
be  brought  into  industrial  slavery. 

It  reminds  me  of  Aesop's  fable  of  the  eagle,  the  cat,  and  the  swine.  Like  the 
cat,  the  shylocks  and  money-sharks,  set  the  white  voters  and  colored  voters  to 
watching  each  other,  so  that  their  eyes  might  be  blinded  to  the  real  robbers,  who 
were  impoverishing  the  masses  and  enriching  themselves.  How  well  they  have 
succeeded  you  are  all  able  to  bear  witness. 

After  a  time  the  Alliance  was  formed,  and  the  framers  found  that  unjust  legisla- 
tion was  bringing;  them  into  poverty;  that  demonetization  of  silver,  contraction  of 
the  currency,  and  that  various  other  discriminations  had  reduced  the  price  of  pro- 
duce and  placed  them  at  the  mercy  of  others;  that  they  were  unable  to  pay  their 
debts  and  taxes;  that  their  homes  wtre  slipping  away  from  them,  and  that  penury 
and  ruin  stared  them  in  the  face. 

So  they  set  about  to  reform  these  matters.  Some  thought,  with  Col.  Polk,  that 
a  new  political  party  was  necessary,  while  others  thought  not. 

Then  the  war  began  in  the  A  liance.  And  this  same  horrible  old  scarecrow, 
""  Negro  Domination  "  was  used  until  all  the  more  easily  frightened  left  the  Alli- 
ance, declaring  that  the  Alliance  had  gone  into  politics,  and  gone  into  the  "  Third 
Party,"  and  now  we  should  certainly  have  "negro  supremacy." 

Now,  is  there  any  truth  in  this  unearthly  shriek?  Do  the  politicians  who  do 
the  howling  themselves  believe  there  is  any  danger? 

I  wi'l  just  refer  you  to  one  instance  as  proof  that  they  do  not.  I  recollect  at 
o.ne  time  some  of  the  otfice-seekers  came  around  during  the  campaign  and  bawled 
and  screamed  themselves  hoarse  with  this  terrible  yell  of  "  Negro  Domination," 
"  white  man's  government."  etc.,  until  I  really  began  to  think  that  possibly  there 
might  be  a  little  peril  in  the  far  off  coming  years.  At  least,  I  believed  that  they, 
themselves,  were  honestly  alarmed. 

They  were  elected.  Before  the  Legislature  met  some  Northern  syndicates 
-commenced  carrying  off  the  negroes  to  colonize  them  on  lands  in  the  West,  which 
had  been  purchased  by  these  syndicates.  The  Legislature  met  and  passed  a  bill 
taxing  any  agent  who  should  carry  one  negro  out  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina 

FIVE  THOUSAND    DOLLARS! 

Oh,  consistency,  consistency,  most  assuredly  thou  art  a  jewel! 

Another  thing  that  strikes  me  as  peculiar  is  that  there  is  no  danger  of  negro  su- 
premacy except  when  political  campaigns  are  being  waged.  After  the  election  is 
-over  this  frightful  old  phanton  is  tucked  away,  hid  in  a  cave  or  den,  and  we  hear 
no  more  of  him  until  the  beginning  of  the  next  race  for  office.  It  would  not  do 
for  the  office-hunters  to  keep  this  weather-beaten  old  ghost  always  in  sight.  If 
they  should  the  voters  would  become  familiar  with  him,  and  familiarity  with  him 
breeds  contempt.     His  ghostship  would  cease  to  terrify  any  one. 

And  still  another  strange  coincidence  is,  the  women  never  seem  to  be  nervous 
•  or  fearful,  even  a  little  bit,  at  this  ugly,  thread-bare  and  inefficient  apparation. 

It  is  to  be  presumed,  however,  that  this  is  due  to  ignorance  and  negligence  on 
their  part!  But  I  suppose  one  reason  is,  they  do  not  hear  these  blatant,  wild-eyed 
orators,  making  the  air  hideou«  with  their  false  screechings,  until  the  crows  leave 
the  farmers'  fields  and  hide  themselves  in  dense  thickets  and  impenetrable  swamps, 
there  to  remain  until  the  awfully  turbulent  tirade  ceases  on  the  eventful  election 
day. 

Well,  brethren,  I  will  tell  you  in  good  earnest,  you  may  begin  to  draw  on  your 
seven-league  boots  and  prepare  to  do  some  swift  running,  for  this  grey-headed, 
ghostly,  old  "  bugbear"  is  again  drawn  forth  from  his  hiding  place,  and  will  soon 
be  in  his  full  glory.  A  few  days  ago  I  heard  a  gentleman  ask,  apparently  in  per- 
fect seriousness  :  "  What  are  we  to  do  with  this  race  problem  ?"  At  the  same  time, 
,  admitting  that  there  are  not  enough  negroes  in  the  State  to  rule  it,  and  a  still 
smaller  proportion  in  the  Nation.  For  answer,  I  held  up  the  five  thousand  dollar 
tax  law  and  inquired  why  it  was  enacted  and  why  it  had  never  been  repealed. 

Again,  brethren  and  sisters :  If  the  colored  race  in  the  Southern  States  is  such  a 
.menace  to  good  government,  what  will  the  United  States  do  with  Hawaii,  Cuba, 
.  Porto  Rica,  the  Ladrones  and  the  Phillippines  ? 

.  Now,  brethren,  you  know  that  a  white  farmer  and  his  colored  tenants  have  the 


same  interests  ;  both  want  low  taxes,  good  laws  and  good  prices  for  farm  products 
Therefore,  they  ought  to  vote  together.  But  these  two  horrific  hobgoblins — "  going 
back  into  slavery  ' '  and  ' '  negro  supremacy  ' '  have  kept  them  separated  for  a  third 
of  a  century,  and  I  fear  will  keep  them  disunited  until  the  final  scheme  of  the 
money-power  shall  have  been  fully  consummated,  namely,  until  the  homes  of  the 
many  shall  have  been  transformed  into  the  domains  of  the  few  ;  and  then  there  can 
never  be  any  redress  whatever,  for  it  is  indisputably  certain  that  those  who  possess 
the  land  own  all  there  is  on  it. 

Look  at  Biltmoxe,  for  instance.  How  few  the  years,  in  which  Mr.  Vanderbil; 
has  been  acquiring  so  enormous  an  estate.  Not  that  I  attach  any  blame  to  him. 
however.  Far  from  it.  But  I  do  censure  the  voters  of  this  country  for  permitting 
such  things  to  be  possible. 

A  great  deal  more  might  be  said  on  this  somewhat  curious,  but  quite  comprehen- 
sive theme.  The  subject  is  very  prolific,  and  not  readily  exhausted.  But  as  you 
all  can  speak  on  it  much  better  than  I  can,  I  desist,  wishing  that  the  farmers  may 
quit  allowing  themselves  to  be  hoodwinked,  terrorized  by  something  which  is 
doing  them  no  harm,  never  has  done,  and  never  will  do  them  any.  In  fact,  a 
mere  name,  wantonly  applied  to  something  which  does  not  exist,  except  in  the 
imaginations  of  the  misguided  sons  of  men  ;  and  hoping  that  the  reformers  of  all 
parties,  classes  and  distinctions  may  get  together  and  make  one  grand  and  noble 
endeavor  for  the  overthrow  of  corruption  and  oppression  in  this  fair  land  of  ours, 
and  for  the  establishment  of  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people  and  for  the: 
people.  And  may  the  Lord  so  order  it  that  their  efforts  shall  be  crowned  with 
success,  and  that  the  victory  shall  be  theirs  absolutely,  undeniably  and  overwhelm- 
ingly. 

EPILOGUE. 

Awake,  ye  freeborn  voters  ! 

Awake,  defend  the  right ; 
L,et  no  false  cry  of  Democrats 

Hide  scoundrels  from  your  sight. 


Arise,  ye  freeborn  voters ! 

Arise,  keep  down  the  wrong ; 
Keep  out  the  looters,  thieves  and  liars, 

By   FIFTY   THOUSAND   STRONG. 


